Buile mo chroi Scrape of my Heart
by D. M. Evans
Summary: Several years after the End of Days, Buffy teams up with the remains of Angel Investigations to face off against something from their past
1. Default Chapter

BUILE MO CHROI

(Scrape of my Heart)

By D. M. Evans

Disclaimer – not mine. No money is made. Joss et al owns everything, though Maddelena is own of my original characters.

Rating – R

Pairing – Connor/Faith, B/A/S, W/X

Summary -  It's two years after the End of Days and the past comes back to haunt the Scoobies and Angel's crew. It's several years after BtVS S7 and AtS S4. This is the sequel to Nil Se ina La (It's Not Yet Day). It would help to read that story but it's not absolutely necessary.

CHAPTER ONE

An gcloiseann tu bualadh mo chroi 

_Buile mo chroi_

_Greadadh mo chroi_

_An gcloiseann tu greadhadh mo chroi_

Karan Casey – Buile mo Chroi 

I liked it here, overlooking the three rivers that converged at the base of the steep hills.  Grandview Avenue coursed along the crest of those hills and the club I was in was one of the premiere ones on that street. Behind my perch on the club's porch, a crowd partied to the loud music that shook the wood floorboards. Pittsburghers knew how to kick up their heels. Those people didn't know how the world nearly ended two years ago. They didn't know vampires and demons were real. Oh, some might believe in ghosts but not the real nasty stuff.

They wouldn't have believed me if I told them I lost friends to demons in the Black Hills of South Dakota and I couldn't imagine their faces if I tried to explain to them I'm a Watcher. Oh, not the stuffy kind like Wes and Giles used to be. I'm what they call Special Ops. Faith calls it the 'thug corps.' Whatever, they pay me to wipe out demons, so it's all good. After the final battle, what was left of the Council decided to station Buffy back at the Hellmouth since just because one apocalypse was over that didn't mean there wasn't going to be another one. They even assigned her a new Watcher, some young guy from Australia. I'm not sure why they think she needed him but Buffy agreed to it. Probably didn't want to do all that research with Willow now that Giles is retired back in London. He was busy rebuilding the fractured Council. He had recovered from the End of Days Battles but he knew he no longer had the strength for fieldwork. I never did bother to ask Dad or Spike what they thought about the new Watcher. They're both living there in Sunnydale, too.

While Buffy had the Hellmouth, Faith was more of a troubleshooter, bounced all over the world putting out fires. I went with her. I'm not her Watcher, of course. Well, okay I do plenty of watching her but not officially. Giles and Wes helped make me a Watcher, by-passing all that book learning stuff. I was getting used for my abilities and natural super whatsits but I didn't care. What else was I going to do? I've never been in school. That left minimum wage jobs that didn't suit my temperament. Like I said, now as Special Ops I get paid for taking out demons. Works for me though I thought the stuffy Watchers were going to have a stroke when I asked why we Watchers got paid and the Slayers didn't. Buffy and Faith both took it on themselves to beat a salary out of the Council. Hell, the Council even hired back Wesley, at their request. He's Faith's Watcher. The three of us make a good team. There's a fourth member with us now, another Special Ops Watcher, Maddelena d'Gioia, a strega.

Four of us here, four back in Sunnydale, well, more if you counted the rest of the Scoobies. I'm not sure how it's working there in California. Two years now and both one-time vampires with souls – did I mention they're human now? They shanshued, whatever that means – are still hanging around Buffy like puppies. It was embarrassing really. For all I knew they time-shared her or something. I thought things would get easier for me and Angel now that he was human but they hadn't. I couldn't even call him Dad in public since hell, he doesn't look old enough to have a son in his mid-twenties. Oh, Faith says I still look like I'm fourteen and Wes agrees. Makes me want to bite them both. Faith, at least, would enjoy it. 

Anyhow, Angel and I still didn't have much contact. I know both he and Spike had apartments in Sunnydale. Maybe they both still had a shot at Buffy. Maybe she was just keeping them around since she didn't know what else to do with them. And they both were a help to her. I know that much. All that demon-kind knowledge locked up in their heads and they were about as human as I was. The prophecy hadn't mentioned that when they became human they'd retain certain aspects of the demon. Like me, they were faster, stronger and had better senses than a regular human. That was good since it'd be pretty ironic to get killed in the first few years of finally getting to be human again.

I didn't know where my team would be heading next now that we had beaten the rock-creature PennDot had awaken while fixing the Fort Pitt Tunnels yet again. It reminded me of Iya the Destroyer from the End of Days in Deadwood. The thing had nearly killed Xander then. 

I wouldn't mind lingering in Pittsburgh for a little while. It sure beat L.A. I took a long swig of my Guinness, the little nitrogen thingie rattling around inside the bottle. Supposed to make it taste like draft. It doesn't. Angel told me once that real Irishmen drink Guinness. Wes and Giles seemed to agree and now having done my own sampling, I'm with them. I don't trust beer I could read a paper through. Give me the dark stuff.

It was next to impossible to pick out one person's movement from the crowd's but there was no mistaking the two hands that dived simultaneously into my front pockets or the warm wiggling body suddenly pressed up against my back. Faith, or I hoped to God it was. It'd be pretty embarrassing if this was some stranger. Looking over my shoulder, I smiled at her. 

"Hey."

"I was wondering where you'd gotten off, too," she said, kissing my shoulder.

"You were having fun dancing and since I don't dance, I figured I just get away from all that noise," I replied. "It's pretty out here." I pointed at the rivers with my beer bottle. 

She leaned her cheek against my shoulder blade. "It is. And you're right, you don't dance well at all, more like a frog in a blender."

I snorted, taking another swig of beer. "Thanks."

"It's pretty disappointing really, given how well you move in a fight." She kissed my shoulder again. "Guess it just goes to show you, you can't equate the ability to dance with the ability to fight."

"No kidding," I said, taking another drink, managing to get my tongue stuck in the damn bottle again. I don't know how I keep doing that.

"Stuck again?" Faith rolled her eyes at me.

I managed to get the bottle off the end of my tongue, nodding.

"I have something more interesting for you to get your tongue stuck in," she said.

I nearly snorted beer up my nose. "Don't do that when I'm drinking!" But I was already remembering how good she tasted.  "So, are you danced out?"

"Oh, I think I have some dance left in me." Through my pockets she caressed me.

I couldn't quite pull away from her. "Hey now, it's a little public for that."

She just stroked me harder. "Gotta find that wild side, blue-eyes."

"The last time you told me that, we found the place where water damaged the roof of the Watcher's Council. I'm not likely to forget the look on Giles' and Wes' face when you and I crashed through into the meeting room."

Faith laughed. "Giles, Wes and everyone else. I was expecting at least one death from self-righteous fit." Taking her hands out of my pockets, she trailed her finger along the Celtic knotwork tat I had around my right bicep. It was pretty new still and her idea. "Finish your beer and we can go back to the hotel and doing some of the dancing you are good at."

I finished off my Guinness in two long swallows. I thought we'd never get down the Incline to Station Square where, for once, we were being put up in nice digs in the Ramada. Faith started teasing me in the elevator on the way up to our room and I carried her down the hall, legs wrapped around my waist, both too busy kissing to see if anyone was in our way.  One of her hands was back in my pocket as I fumbled with the pass card for the door. After three abortive tries to unlock the damn thing it opened on its own. Wes and Maddie were standing there.

"Why are they in our room?" I asked, the words distorted as Faith's lips never really left mine.

"Told you trading the spare keys for each other's rooms was a bad idea," Faith muttered.

Very funny, you two. We've already packed your things. We have to leave for the airport now." Wesley said. "Next time, take your cell phones with you."

Faith unwrapped herself from around me and I really wished she wouldn't have. It was a little less embarrassing with her hiding the fact that you could have used me as a Maypole at this point. 

"Where are we going?" Faith asked, all business.

"Sunnydale," Maddelena replied.

"They didn't tell us why. I'm assuming Buffy will fill us in," Wesley said, brushing past us. "We do need to hurry."

"As much as some of us can," Maddie added, her hazel eyes flicking down at my crotch as she smirked at me.

Why couldn't one of my abilities be invisibility? Faith just laughed and grabbed up her small travel bag. 

"Do your best to keep up, kid," she said, sailing past me into the hall.

I snatched up my bag and followed them. Hopefully whatever Wesley did know about the situation would be enough to bore Faith to sleep. The last time we had a long flight she wanted us to join the mile high club. I'm still not clear why anyone would want to do it in an airplane bathroom or how it was even possible. Skinny as I am, I can barely fit into one alone. I can't imagine two of us sneaking into one and there'd be no way of anyone missing me and Faith going at it. I'm sure that's why Wesley fought the Council to quit reserving us adjoining rooms. Oh, he said it was because it made it harder for someone after us to just come in and sweep both rooms and kill us all but I figured he was just tired of hearing Faith scream. I wasn't likely to get tired of it any time soon; I just didn't want to hear it echoing around an airplane toilet.

 Sunnydale. We were heading across the country, right into who knew what. I'd have to work on my best game face. I'd need it to deal with Dad.


	2. Daddy Issues

CHAPTER TWO

Are you hearing the beat of my heart 

_The bang of my heart_

_The scrape of my heart_

_Are you hearing the scrape of my heart?_

Buile Mo Chroi – Karan Casey 

I was stiff and sore by the time we got off the plane. I hate the traveling part of my job. Maddie can whip up teleportation spells but it's hard on her. We reserve that for the really long-distance stuff. Since our entire luggage was all carry-ons we just headed out to look for our ride. I had forgotten how bloody hot it could be in California…bloody? I'm starting to sound like Wes and half the other Watchers. Just kill me now. After several minutes of choking on exhaust fumes, a large car rolled up and Xander got out.

"Hey guys." He seemed brighter than the last time I had seen him. That has to be Willow's influence. He and her have hooked up. I think it was just a friendship thing at first; Xander still getting over Anya's death and Willow still not having realized being Bi didn't mean she loved Tara less.

"Where are we crashing?" Faith asked, stretching. "I wish I could sleep on planes."

"You did sleep. You drooled all over my shoulder," I protested and she elbowed me hard. Wesley wagged his head sadly mouthing 'No!' at my foolishness. One of these days I'll learn better.

"The Council said to put Wes up at Hamish Blackwell's place," Xander said, helping with the luggage. He still had that bad limp but I guess he always would since he nearly lost that leg in the Final Battle. Blackwell was Buffy's new Watcher. I had only met him once. "And they said to put Faith and Maddelena up at Buffy's. Angel's expecting you to stay with him of course, Connor."

"Who gave this order?" I could hear the irritation in Maddie's voice and Xander wasn't immune to it either.

A worried expression etched into his broad face. "Um, a Ms. Webb, why?"

"Self righteous prig." Maddie tossed her carry-on into the trunk hard.

"Don't let her upset you." Wes said. "Just drop Maddie and I off at Blackwell's."

"Oh, I get it." Xander smiled easily, getting back in the car.

"You can skip Buffy's all together," Faith said. 

"You two are…" Xander trailed off, looking over the seat at us. His dark hair, now shot with silver, flopped over his face. "Still?"

"Yeah," I replied. I guess no one had mentioned that. Maybe Dad was trying to hide it or Buffy's Watcher was since I know the Council probably told him. "We can just go to Angel's unless there's some tactical meeting at Buffy's first."

"We don't have all the details yet. We're expecting a call from Giles tonight. Buffy's at work. So's Angel for that matter. They figured you guys would want to crash before anything else."

"Good thought," Faith muttered, leaning against me.

Xander drove and chattered about how things were going in Sunnydale. Dawn was working on her PhD in art so she could teach while she was working as a graphic artist for a firm out of L.A. Angel taught history at the community college since he didn't have the credentials to teach at the university. Spike ran a British pub called the Black Horse not far from the Bronze. Both probably had to be seen to be believed.

Turned out Dad wasn't renting an apartment. He had a house, a mansion practically. Show off. Xander gave us the spare key after showing us to a guest bedroom. I wanted to take the time to poke around Angel's place when he wasn't around but the bed was calling me. Faith was stripped and curling up under the covers before Xander's car was even out of the drive. I had to get into the bed fast before she took over the middle, leaving me hunched up on the edge. She said I was skinny enough it shouldn't matter how much of the bed she hogged. I got in, trying not to fold up around her too much. I had a habit of sleeping on top of the people I shared a bed with. Faith didn't like it that much. Sometimes I think she's afraid of being touched no matter how much she likes it. I was gone the moment I had the covers pulled up.

The front door opening, even though Angel was making an attempt to be quiet, woke me up. I figured I should talk to Dad, at least let him know I got here in one piece. Faith murmured as I got out of bed. I kissed her cheek.

"Dad's home. You stay here. I'll go let him know we made it here in one piece."

I didn't bother to dress, stumbling out of the room, trying to pull on my underwear. Dad could handle seeing me in my boxers. He had made it into his den and was warming up the computer when I found him. The den was homier than I expected. My place was so sterile. Dad had a picture on the wall, a mixed media thing I remember Dawn telling me was the style. Her signature was on it. It was gothic and creepy and I loved it, sort of cemetery meets pub. There were three portraits on the wall, pretty pencil sketches. I know Dad had to have done them even though they weren't signed. One was of Buffy at the ocean. Another of Willow and Dawn hanging on each other looking like they were sharing a good joke and the last was of me. I was shocked to see it. I don't think I even have so much as a picture of Dad and somehow he managed to recreate me from memory. I looked a little sullen in the picture but it's been pointed out that I only have two emotions, sullen and angry. I'm not sure that's a fair assessment.

 Dad looked up at me with a sheepish grin. He looked like the last time I saw him, all that thick hair I wished I had inherited sticking up in those weird little spikes. Well, it was better than that time he chopped it off and it looked like road kill on his head.

"Sorry. I was hoping I wouldn't wake you. Wes left a message that you guys had just finished a hard fight before getting called out here." Dad's dark eyes pinned me. "You look rough."

"Hate air travel," I said, scrubbing a hand through my hair. It needed cutting. It was all the way past my shoulder blades at this point. Faith had taken to braiding it before a battle.

"Why don't you get back to sleep. I've papers to grade." He thumped the hefty load of paper for emphasis.

"What exactly are you teaching?" I felt vaguely ashamed I had never asked before. Hell, half the time Dad and I communicated through Wesley. It was stupid and childish and I'm not sure we could help ourselves.

"Irish history from the 1700's til today." His eyes glinted at that. I could see the joy.

"Yeah, fair enough, you lived most of it." I sat on the chair next to the desk, slumping against it a bit.

"True," Angel said, looking awkward already.  "I don't know anything about why you guys were summoned here."

Okay, since we were already talking business I figure that was a given, awkward I mean. We still don't have a clue how to talk to one another. "Yeah, Xander said." Might as well stick to business. It's safer. Faith was probably lying in the bed counting down to our first argument. I'd give it ten minutes if I didn't give up and go back to bed. I didn't know why we couldn't talk to each other. I'm thinking it's mostly my fault. Less than ten years of knowing him couldn't compete with eighteen formative years of learning to hate him.

Angel nodded. "You like what you're doing, son?"

"A lot." I smiled. There was so much more I could say to that but the words got caught. "Oh, just so you know, Faith's here, too, but you can probably smell that."

Angel just smirked. "I'm just glad you two are still getting along."

"I'm not that difficult to put up with," I protested.

"I'm going to let that one slide," he said and I flipped him off. He snorted at me. "Is it getting serious between you two?" He seemed somehow hopeful at that.

"You mean to have and to hold til death? No, we're not like that. I'm not sure I can see myself married with children. I'm thinking I'll be better off never having kids," I replied in all honesty.

Angel didn't seem to know what to say to that. He simply looked very sad. "You're young yet."

I didn't ask about his plans with Buffy or remind him that he could have more kids and do it right this time. And if not with Buffy, since a pregnant Slayer is most likely a dead one, then with someone else. "I wish I felt young. I feel like I'm as old as you right now."

He nodded. "Seriously, get some sleep Connor before you fall out of your chair. I need to get these papers graded before we get caught up in whatever this thing is because I won't have time once it all hits the fan." He pushed me gently.

I got up. "You okay with us being here?"

"I asked for you to stay with me, Connor. Why wouldn't I want you here?" His thick brow beetled.

"I dunno. You and Buffy…" Man, I probably shouldn't have brought that up. Didn't I just say I wouldn't?

"Can stay at her place if you think we'd bother you," Angel said.

I shook my head. "Doesn't bother me." And it didn't. What bothered me was being in bed with Faith and knowing Dad would be able to hear us if he was home. I'm not sure why I was embarrassed about it but I just was. God, I hope Faith understands that. And I don't really want to hear Dad and Buffy going at it either. As far as I was concerned, Dad never needed to have sex again. Trying to put it from my mind, I started for my room.

"Connor."

I paused, looking back at him.

"When did you get the tattoos?" He seemed surprised by them, his eyes on the wolf triskela at the base of my spine.

"A few months ago."

He looked up at me and smiled. "I like them."

I grinned back. "Thanks."

I crawled back into bed, too tired to pull off my boxers. Hey, meeting one over and done and no blood shed yet. Maybe things were looking up.

*                                                                      *                                                          *

I woke up feeling something tickling my belly. Faith smiled at me, trailing her fingers up and down my belly. Those dancing fingers dipped under the waistband of my boxers, toying with me. I caught her hand, shaking my head.

"You usually like a little wake up-playtime," Faith said, her beautiful lips falling into a pout.

"No time tonight," I protested, my body trying to respond to her touch.

"Yeah, like that's a problem." She smirked broadly.

"Hey!" Ouch, that hurt even if I knew she was joking. She gave my balls a playful squeeze. She was making telling her no very difficult. "Hands out of my pants if that's how you feel."

"You're a machine." Faith kissed me, her hands sliding out of my pants and up my body. 

I smiled under her lips. "That's better. Still, we can't. Angel is just in the other room."

"Oh my God, you've gone shy!"  Faith's eyes lit up, tweaking one of my nipples.

I could feel my face go red. "A little…he's my dad."

She grabbed my hair, pulling me up. A wicked grin blossomed on her face then she kissed me roughly. "And how do you think you got here in the first place?"

It was all I could do to restrain the full body shiver. "I'd rather not think about it. Seriously, we don't have time. Angel is out there and I really have to pee. I can't do that if you…"

"Oh, go!" Faith pushed me half out of the bed.

"You're going to laugh at me," I said, dragging on my pants.

"You bet." Her grin went ear to ear.

I headed down the hall for the bathroom. The house smelled delicious, ripe with garlic and cheese. Either Dad learned how to cook or he had ordered out pizza. I hurriedly used the bathroom so Faith could get in there, too. Neither of us was exactly presentable when we stumbled toward the kitchen but at least we were half awake. The pizza boxes were on the table. Dad's kitchen had a back door that lead out to a fenced-in yard. Did he have a dog? I thought I smelled one but I didn't see it. I rather wish I had a more stable home life so I could have one, something big with teeth. The best I could do was an officious cat that seemed to survive going from house to house and whenever I got back to home base in London, it would show up at the door and demand food.

"I don't see Angel," Faith said, grabbing up a slice loaded with every topping known to man. "Mr. I'm-too-self-conscious."

"Well, gee why don't I just clear a spot on the table and we can have at it," I grumbled, hunting down glasses so I could pour us some water.

Faith grinned. "Don't tempt me. It's been days."

"Days for what?" Angel called in from wherever he had been in the yard. He was still a good several feet away from the door but like me, he could still hear just about anything that went on around the house. 

"Since Skinny Ass has let me peel him out of his clothes," Faith said, opening the door for Angel.

"Faith…" Please floor, open up and take me. Of course, it ignored me and I watched Faith set down her pizza to give Angel a hug. It seemed odd. Faith had a better relationship with Dad than I did. She felt he had saved her life, or at least pulled her back from the darkness. I believe that he did. His belief that she could turn around her life gave her the strength to do it. It was things like that which made me not just give up on my father. Even back then, with the demon still in him, he tried to help people. That never sat well with my mindset but I couldn't deny it. I think it's probably the only reason I didn't just cut all ties and drift away.

Angel hugged her back. "Yes, I could see how that would be a problem."

"Thanks for the pizza, Dad," I said, hoping to get back onto less embarrassing topics. I still remembered the time Angel had tried to give me the sex talk. It lasted about five seconds and I hadn't a clue what he was talking about. It was after we took on those vampires in the club that tried to kill Justine. We had known each other for just a day so I don't know what had even prompted him to try giving me the big talk. I think he figured it was something dad's had to do. Maybe he wanted to protect me or maybe it was finding me with Sunny and fearing what might have happened with a junkie probably made him want to at least try and tell me about safe sex.

Anyhow we were sparring in the alleys. He thought I was horsing around because I wanted to be with him and I was gauging how he fought so I could kill him. Somehow the sex talk got worked into that, or should I say what sputtering nonsense Angel managed to come up with before going back to sparring with me. That was easier, safer. There were other sex talks after that, after I had slept with Cordy and they were ugly and cruel. Maybe that's why I don't want him to even be thinking about me and Faith.

"You're welcome. I figured you two would be hungry," Angel said, picking up a slice for himself. I guess now that he could eat, he was doing it up right. Just watch him get fat. You can see he has the tendencies.

"Ravenous," Faith said.

I leaned it to grab up a slice before the two of them polished it off. 

"Get your hair out of the pizza, son."

I flung my long mane back over my shoulder. "It didn't touch the pizza."

"You need a haircut."

"Look who's talking. You can see your reflection now and that's the best you can do?" I asked and Faith kicked me under the table. What? Did she expect Dad and I could make it through two whole conversations without fighting? I sighed and changed the subject. "Did you get the papers checked, Dad?"

He shook his head. "Not all of them. Some people just have no clue about history." He glanced over at me. "Did you get that book I sent?"

"_How the Irish Saved Civilization_?" I took a healthy bite of dinner, nodding. "I liked it a lot. Thanks."

"You'd think it was written in Gaelic the way some of my students stare at it."

"You mean the ones who aren't busy making moon eyes at you." Faith batted her eyes for emphasis.

Angel laughed. "That's half of them and not all of them girls. It's all very unnerving."

Faith shrugged. "So you have your pick, one of each."

"Stop that! I'm trying to eat," I protested and Angel looked too horrified to speak.

Faith rolled her eyes at me. "When did you get to be such a prude? I told Wesley the instant you got here you'd get all weird and uptight. He owes me twenty."

"Oh, that's nice." I eyed her sourly. 

"You mean weirder than normal?" Angel tried not to grin,

"You have no room to be calling me weird." I flung a mushroom at him. "If I'm strange it's probably something I inherited form you."

Angel batted away the pizza-topping missile. "No, you have your very own brand of weird going on."

"I think you two have the market cornered on weird," Faith put in.

"You aren't a font of normal, sweetie," I said and she blew me a kiss.  I just picked an onion off my pizza. I didn't' really like them. I figured I'd better make yet another subject change. "Dad, do you have any clue why we're here?"

He shook his head. "Giles just said it looked like it could turn big and ugly. Eat up and we'll head over to Buffy's."

I started on my second slice. "So, Dad, you having fun living out those Indiana Jones fantasies? I mean that is why you took a job teaching history right?" I gave him my best shit-eating grin and as Wes would say, Angel immediately took the piss.

The perturbed look on my father's face was utterly hysterical. "I did not!"

"Indiana Jones fantasies?" Faith asked, her eyes sharp.

"Never you mind," Angel replied, blushing. I wasn't used to him being able to do that.

"Oh no, you can't just bring that up and not tell me," Faith protested.

"Later, love," I promised.

"You mean when we're in bed not doing anything." Her sharp look turned on me.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, then." I set my second slice down, too embarrassed to eat. "I'm done."

"Oh no you don't. You eat. You could blow away in a summer breeze," Dad said.

"At least I'm not getting wide enough to require my own zip code," I replied and Faith wisely moved off to safer ground.

"I only look fat in comparisons to you, you twig."

"I might be a twig but I can still take you, old man." I grinned ferally at him.

"Try it."

Faith just opened the back door and pointed. Dad and I took the sparring match outside. It was fun. We had such different strengths that a match up was always so unpredictable, even if we were just goofing around like now. Dad was fast but not as fast as me. He depended on his size and me on my quickness and agility. I almost had him when I dunked him in the hot tub he had in the gazebo. Finally he managed to snag me by my hair and pull me into a bear hug. He squashed me against the fence.

"Told you, you need a hair cut."

"I'm too busy wondering what it says about your mental state, a one time vampire surrounding himself with dozens of wooden stakes." I rapped my head back against the tall stockade fence. "Or is it some sort of manhood thing."

"You are such a weird wee man, you know that son?" He let me go, ruffling my hair.

"I guess I do take after you, after all," I said, smoothing my fine hair back into place.

"You boys done deciding who has the bigger pair?" Faith called from the back porch. "You'd better get in here before I eat all the pizza." 

We both headed back in before she made good on that threat.


	3. The Brotherhood

CHAPTER THREE

An mbraitheann tu mo chroi 

_I drearmann do lamha_

_I ngeibheann do ghra_

_An mbraitheann tu cuisle mo chroi_

Buile Mo Chroi – Karan Casey 

****

Our dinner eaten, we headed for the meeting. Buffy's house was a lot like I remembered it with one exception. There was a huge dog inside with Dawn and Buffy. The thing bounded at us at a lope. The wiry grey-haired beast leapt up, planting its feet on my shoulders and nearly knocking me down. It stared down at me then licked my face. It had a few good inches on me height wise. Even before I could get this creature off of me another one darted out of the kitchen and I went down in a pile of dogs.

"Connor, you can play with the dogs later." I could hear the humor in Dad's voice, the bastard.

"Help me!" I said or tried to. There was dog tongue on my lips.

"Wow, my big burly man disappeared," Faith said and I managed to snake a hand free to give her the finger.

Dad dragged me free, lifting me off my feet in the process. "Good God! You weigh less than the dogs. Faith, does he even eat?"

"I think he strains nutrients from the air." She smirked at me.

"Put me down," I said through grated teeth, half-heartedly kicking at him.

"Are the dogs yours, Angel?" Faith yanked me out of Dad's hands.

"Yes, Keely." He put his hand on the steel grey dog's head. "And Medb." He stroked the brindle one. "I brought them here so you could sleep in quiet."

"Thanks. How are you two?" I asked, looking over at Buffy and Dawn. Buffy's face looked drawn. I guess putting up with Dad would tire anyone out.

"Good," Buffy said, sparing a strange little grin for Dad. I knew what that grin meant. It was too creepy for me. The idea of Dad having sex, I mean. 

"I'm doing real well. Just got a contract to do some pieces for a nation-wide corporation, stuff for the office. It's not great art but it pays the bills so I can do the art I want to do," Dawn said brightly.

"Cool. If we ever get time, I'd like to see what you're working on," I said.

"Wouldn't have it any other way. How are you doing, Connor? Still liking being a Watcher?" Dawn looked a bit awkward and I guess I probably did, too. She and I had had a wild fling a few years back until we learned our respective backgrounds. We couldn't shake that incestuous feeling.

"I enjoy it," I said, tossing my long hair back. It needed a good washing. There really hadn't been time. 

"And how've you been Faith?" There was something in Buffy's tone that sounded suspicious. I guess she'll never fully forgive Faith and I think Faith accepts that.

"Having a good time, getting to see the world," Faith replied as the front door opened and closed. I didn't bother to turn to see them. I could smell Willow's delicate perfume and Xander's cheap cologne. "Getting to do it in new and different places." Faith's face went wicked.

"Yeah we heard what you did to the Council headquarters' roof." Xander snickered under his breath and I winced. How embarrassing. Was there anyone who hadn't heard about that sexual misadventure?

"Hi, Faith," Willow said cheerily. "I didn't know you were bringing a new girl to the meeting? One of the Potentials?"

I whirled, a hurt look on my face. It was one of those times you know you're standing there with your mouth open like an idiot but you couldn't help it. "Willow!"

She blushed as the others laughed. "Sorry Connor. The hair, the skinny back, it's an easy mistake to make."

"Well, that makes me feel so much better." I pouted.

"Get a hair cut, son." Angel rolled his eyes, cuffing me one. "That hair is nothing but a liability in a fight."

"I like the hair," Faith said, "It feels like silk on the inside of my legs."

That turned me redder than Willow's hair. "Why am I the only Watcher here?" I asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

"Knowing Ham, they're probably lost in a book somewhere," Buffy said. "Have a seat. I've got tea brewing. Spike should be here any minute, too. One of his waitresses called off sick so he couldn't get away from the bar until he found a replacement."

I gratefully took a seat on the couch. I was still jet lagged and now embarrassed. Both were common enough conditions given my job and choice of companions. Faith sat next to me and immediately Keely trotted over. She turned and started backing into my lap. "Um, Dad."

"She loves you, son." That was the only help he offered.

Keely stretched out over Faith and me. Willow and Xander crammed into the loveseat, leaving the chair for Angel. The room needed more seating since I didn't know where anyone else would fit. Dawn kept busy looking out the window. She was dating Hamish. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to know that or not so I planned on keeping quiet about it. 

"Spike's here," Dawn announced.

Spike didn't look much different from the last time I saw him, maybe a little thinner in the hairline but that was about it. He reeked of tobacco, his and surely a bar-full of other cigarettes. He grinned, seeing Faith and I. "He sicced those bloody dogs on you. Looking good, Faith. And you look more like Darla every time I see you, Uncle."

"Screw you, too, nephew," I shot back. I'm not sure when Spike had started calling me that. It had to do with my so-called sister, Dru.

"Looks like we're still a few cards short of a deck." Spike wiggled a six-pack he had in his hand. "Brought goodies."

I held out my hand and he slapped a Newcastle Brown Ale in it. I could probably use the whole six-pack to survive this night.

"Have you turned into a real Irishman yet?" Spike asked. "Or does two beers still put that scrawny little body of yours down?"

"I wouldn't be talking about anyone being scrawny, Spike, at least not until you weight more than a hundred pounds yourself," I shot back.

"Tea's ready," Buffy said, sailing out of the kitchen with the tray. "Hey, Spike. Find a place to sit."

"I brought something for the grown-ups," Spike said, setting the six-pack down before sitting on the hearth. Dad helped himself to a beer as well.

"I hope they get here before Giles calls," Buffy said.

And as if on cue, a car pulled up. Wesley and Maddie had the same weary look Faith and I did. Hamish's long face held hints of exhaustion and his shaggy dark blond hair needed brushing. I'm not sure what Dawn saw in him actually, looks wise. Maybe she liked her men slim since Hamish wasn't much bigger than me or Spike or maybe smarts turned her on since he was all that and then some. He made me feel stupid. So did Wesley and Giles for that matter but I know none of them mean to. I just got so far behind on Quor-toth that I never quite caught up.

"Sorry about being late, mates," Hamish said, sparing a crooked-tooth smile for Dawn. "Wesley and I got wrapped up in looking up the Fratelli di Viale."

"The what?" Faith asked with that same hint of petulance she always got when Wes went into full Watcher-mode.

"That's what Giles called to warn us about," Buffy said. "He didn't have much on them yet, just that the Council thought that they might be causing us trouble."

"The Fratelli, the brothers of the path, are a very old organization," Hamish said, leafing through some notes he had.

"I've heard of the wankers," Spike put in. "They were a fun-sounding bunch." He blushed a bit as all eyes turned on him. "Well, they were when I was the Big Bad."

"Yes, well, they are a sort of anti-Council. They dabble in the dark arts, deal with demons, conduct experiments," Hamish said, his eyes holding that same manic glee Wes and Giles got when researching something new and to them, exciting.

"Lovely." Buffy made a face. I was with her on that.

"And it seems that they have had dealings with old friends of yours, Angel," Wesley said. "From L.A."

"Let me guess, Wolfram and Hart," Angel said. Not much of the law firm was left. What had been rebuilt after the Beast took them out, had been destroyed after their End of Days went bust thanks to us. I didn't know much about them, only that they had a hand in me ending up in Quor-Toth in the first place. Anyone dealing with them automatically made it onto my shit list.

"Exactly," Wesley said.

"We can only assume that they have nothing good in mind by turning their attention to Sunnydale," Maddelena put in.

Before we could respond to the obvious, the phone rang. Buffy answered it then clicked it over to speakerphone.

"I'm glad everyone's there," Giles' voice crackled through the speaker. "We don't know much more than we did when we did yesterday.  We've got some intel suggesting that the Fratelli are interested in Buffy in particular. We're not sure why."

"Do we know anything for certain, Giles?" Buffy asked, her weary expression deepening. I could understand that. Fighting demons took its toll and in my own way I had been at it longer than Faith or Buffy. I was just a kid, a real kid, when I took out my first demon for Father. I can't remember ever not fighting.

"Only that Ethan Rayne is working with them," Giles said and the look on Buffy's face was one of pure disgust. I agreed with that look. Ethan was the guy who tied me and Dawn together magically and was trying to exploit our powers. I wouldn't want to be him if Buffy crossed his path.

"You'd think after that last butt kicking he took when he hurt Dawnie and Connor, he'd never bother us again," Willow said.

"Agreed. The important thing is, is Ethan knows Buffy. He knows some of her weaknesses and he is capable of some very dark magic," Giles said.

"Is he on his way here?" Buffy asked.

"Probably. And so am I," Giles said.

  
"I thought you didn't want to do field work any more, Giles," Hamish said and I could see he was a little jealous of his turf. That would be bad if he couldn't control it. I mean, Giles was like a father to Buffy. Anyone could see that and it wouldn't be smart to get between them.

"I'm leaving that to you, Blackwell," Giles replied. "But I know Ethan better than anyone. We're friends then adversaries for over thirty years. I'll be in Sunnydale tomorrow. Until then, see what you can find out about the Fratelli and see if anyone has a line on their dealings in Sunnydale."

"Will do," Hamish said and Giles hung up. "Spike, have you heard anything from the demon side of things?"

Spike shook his head. "My bar's not exactly Willie's. My patrons are human for the most part but I'll keep an ear out. I have some rocks I can turn over."

"I'll head to Willie's and see what I can beat out of his…patrons," Angel said. "Faith, Connor, want to come with?"

"Yeah." If it got me out of the bookwork, I'd wander into hell.

"While you're doing that, I'll patrol like normal," Buffy said.

"Could I come with you?" Faith asked, surprising everyone.

  
Buffy stared for a moment then nodded. "Sure."

I wasn't sure that was a good idea but hell, they're grown women now. Hopefully different than the girls who had tried to kill each other all those years ago. I didn't dare suggest anyone tag along with them and no one else was that foolish either. No one looked very happy though.

"In the meantime, Willow, Xander, Maddie, Wes and I can hit the books and the web," Hamish said.

"Actually, I'm going to put in a call to an old friend back in L.A.. She's been keeping her ear to the ground monitoring the supernatural," Wesley said.

Buffy nodded. "Do it."

We all took that as a call to action. I headed out into the night with my father. Heaven help us. Too much time alone and we'd be reenacting a _Simpsons'_ episode and it'd be a toss up which of us would be Homer strangling Bart.

*                                                          *                                                          *

Faith still wasn't back when Dad and I came home exceedingly empty-handed. I hit the shower in desperate need of it since I had spent the last two nights in bars without a chance to clean up. I reeked of smoke and sweat.

I hadn't asked Dad about him and Buffy. It didn't seem the time. But I could see signs of her all over the bathroom. I can't imagine Angel buying himself jasmine shampoo and melon body wash. They had to be Buffy's.

I took a leisurely shower, trying to work the kinks and soreness out of my body. Some creature I didn't know the name of had tried to use me as a swizzle stick. I had a huge gash over one eye. I think Angel was busy laughing since he warned me not to irritate the thing in the first place. One day I'll listen to Dad.

I was drying off when Dad knocked on the door. "What?" I whined. I'm sorry, I get whiny when I'm tired. I can't help it.

"Phone, the Watcher's Council."

I wrapped my towel around me and went out. Dad handed me the phone as I sat on the couch. 

"Don't get that wet mop on the Corinthian leather," he warned.

Sighing I leaned forward, letting my hair curtain around me while I talked. "O'Faolain here." Through my mane I saw Dad rolling his eyes. When I had learned my name was Connor Angel way back when I had freaked. Thank you everyone for tagging me with a ridiculous joke of a surname. So, I went on a quest for a name that fit me. I didn't know Dad's real name. I still don't and I didn't want to take it anyhow. I know it hurt him but I think he understood. He named me well enough. Connor translates to champion or hero or some such nonsense. I half wanted to honor Father by keeping Holtz as my last name but I knew how badly that would be taken. I took Steven as my middle name instead. I came up with two surnames, Kelly and O'Faolain, 'strife' or 'wolf.' Kelly just didn't flow well as Cordelia had put it. I scowled. I hated thinking of her gone now. "Yeah, okay. Did you tell Hamish, too? Okay, I will."

I signed off the phone and Dad raised an eyebrow at me. "That was quick."

"They wanted to let me know that Giles is on his way. But unfortunately Ethan Rayne slipped past them. They think he's in California already. I have to call Hamish. They couldn't get him earlier. What's Ham's number?" I punched it in as Dad related it. Hamish sounded groggy when he answered. "Ham, the Council just called. Rayne outsmarted whoever they sent to watch him. He's probably already here. Giles will be here by noon, you picking him up? Okay…no, Faith's not back yet either. I figure either she and Buffy have found something fun to kill or they're fighting with each other. If it's the latter I wish they'd have told me and Dad first so we could have supplied the hot oil and watched…sure I'd have invited you, too. Call if you hear anything."

Dad gave me a strange look as I hung up. "I think Faith's rubbing off on you."

"Maybe I got this way on my own." It really was Faith's influence. She was so open sexually and usually that was pretty cool with me. Sort of wonderful and horrifying at the same time. Still, I think I brought my own brand of unusualness to the table.

"Well, given your dad was a womanizer and your mother a pro, I guess this is the best I can expect." He smiled at me.

"Exactly. Tell me about this Rayne character. You've had more experiences with him than I have," I said, heading for my bedroom to pull on some clothing. That was true. Even though this clown had captured me once I didn't know much about him.

"Yes. The most important thing to remember is he's sly but he's a coward."

"Noted." I pulled on sweat pants and wandered back out. Dad's face held fear in it. I think he knew that the Council had given me the go-ahead to take this man out if I had to. The Special Ops did wetworks. Usually it was just demons we killed but a rogue mage was just as dangerous and if we had to kill them, I had to be prepared for it. Just the less said about killing humans the better. "Outside of when you helped me and Dawn how many times have you met him then?"

"Twice. Buffy's run up against him four times. The first time he magicked Halloween costumes turning everyone wearing them into the thing they were dressed up as," Angel said.

I frowned. I've never understood Halloween. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. For laughs maybe. Or he knew the Slayer had one of his costumes and wanted to take her out of the picture. Spike nearly killed Buffy that night. That's when he still had a set on him."

Okay, that was bitter. I guess the triangle thing really still was how life was being lived here in Sunnyhell and Dad didn't like it. What a change from those free-swinging days with Mom and Dru. "But Rayne escaped."

"I think Giles let him go to be honest. They were once friends. He certainly lived to regret that. The next time was soon after when Giles' past came back to haunt him. During those days when they were young, they used to let a demon take possession of them for… um, orgies." Angel paused, a strange look on his face. Was that disgust or respect or maybe, 'boy I wish I had thought of that?' "The demon was trying to kill the whole group that had used it. Ethan managed to capture Buffy and tried to lure the demon into her. It was in Giles' girlfriend Jenny at the time. We got it to jump into me and my demon killed it. That hurt…a lot and Ethan escaped again since everyone was concerned about Jenny and me."

I nodded. How ironic was it that after saving her life, Dad was the one to kill her. "If you were there then this was when Buffy was in high school."

"Yes. And so was the next time. I didn't have anything to do with that. No one really knew I was back from hell at that point." Angel shuddered. He never spoke about it, those centuries in hell. I didn't want to know. "This time Ethan magicked candy bars to turn the adults into kids so he and his minions had free run of the town. They were trying to feed babies to a demon for the Mayor. Buffy stopped him but once again while she was saving the babies he ran off."

"Slippery, isn't he?" I was surprised this guy could elude Dad and Buffy so long but then again he had gotten away when he was messing with me and Dawn.

"Very. The last time he showed up and turned Giles into a Fryal demon and Buffy nearly killed him. That time he didn't get away. The Initiative took him and we thought he was out of the picture until he captured you and Dawn."

"The who?"

"The Initiative, a group of military demon hunters, long story I'll tell it later. They took him into custody but it's been years since they did. Either he escaped or was released. It didn't take him too long to get in Buffy's face again, with that trick with you and Dawn."

"His spells sound more, well, not subtle but not exactly something you ride into battle with either," I said. That would be a relief. Maddie was our witch and protection but she couldn't be everywhere. I knew Willow was more than a little powerful. Two witches should keep us safe but I didn't trust magic. Never had. "Even what he did to me and Dawn wasn't really out rightly dangerous. A magical cell that we figured a way out of and that spell that would kill us if we got more than a few feet away from each other." That was the most dangerous thing Ethan had done that I personally had seen and even at that, Dawn and I were too interested in separating. We spent half the time on top of each other.

"Like I said, he's a coward. He'd rather do an elaborate spell to distract us while he accomplishes whatever it is he's here to do. Chances are we'll see the effects of a spell long before we see him, just like when he captured you and Dawn," Angel said.

"Wonderful." I glanced toward the front window, hoping to see Faith coming home. No such luck.

Angel caught the look and gave me one of his own. "Are you worried about her? We could go looking for them." 

"Not worried yet. She's probably having more fun than I am."

Angel patted my shoulder. "I'll try to pretend you aren't talking about me."

I snorted. "I'm not but now that I know about Ethan that leaves us talking about our personal lives or going to sleep."

"Is that first really that bad?" Angel had that hurt look in his eyes again.

I shrugged. I didn't want to upset him. He tried hard to make our relationship work, harder than I did. I should do better. "I guess not. We could talk if you want. Are you and Spike still dating Buffy?"

He scowled. "You're just trying to get me to say go to bed and be done with it."

"You're the one who wanted to talk." Why did I mention Spike? I could really be perverse.

"Not about that," he snapped then relaxed a little. "Yeah, we are. It's not a good situation. No one can decide where we go from here and it feels like we're standing still."

"Sorry. And being happy as a threesome is out?" I asked and thought I was going to get smacked.

He reared back, his nostrils flaring. It was all rather comical except I did think he was considering giving me a good whack. "Why would you even ask that?"

"Cause…" I hesitated then decided to plunge into the deep end. After all, Dad's the one who wanted to talk. "Sometimes me, Faith, Wes and Maddie are a foursome and we're all okay with that."

Angel shut his eyes, his head flopping back against the loveseat. "Oh Lord."

"Hey, you wanted to talk." I really was being perverse now. It wasn't a lie. One drunken night we had done that. It was really more a trade of women. Wes and I had zero interest in each other. I'm not sure why I had even tried to make it sound like one wild orgy.

"Quit reminding me. Let's talk about you for a little bit. You never tell me anything about yourself and what you're doing, barring this latest admission that I'd rather not picture. What do you do for fun?" Angel sounded a little desperate, maybe even sad. He honestly seemed to think he know nothing about me.

"Fun?" I snorted as memories flooded back.

"You can't work all the time," Angel insisted. He really must think I hated him and had nothing to say. It wasn't true. I loved him. I just didn't know how to say it. Maybe because part of me didn't want it to be true, like it was somehow a betrayal of the man who raised me.

"I was just remembering Sunny asking me that my very first day in this world. I didn't know how to answer it then either. The foursomes are fun. We're learning tantric sex." I smiled wickedly. We were, separately but I wasn't ready to let Dad up yet. The glare in his eyes suggested I'd best find a new topic though.

"Connor."

"Fine, okay. We had a job in Florida a month ago. After we were done, Faith and I went to Playalinda beach. It's clothing optional," I said and Angel just wagged his head, rubbing his forehead. "That was fun with one major exception."

He put a couch pillow over his face. "Dare I ask?"

"There's no way of putting sun block all over your body gracefully," I said and I could see him trying not to laugh. "Someone as pale as me really shouldn't hang out on beaches." He was laughing now. "It's not funny. I got burnt. It hurt and Faith had painted designs on um…you know with that heavy-duty zinc stuff which was the only part not red. Afterwards." I thought Dad was going to roll off the love seat laughing. "I'm glad my pain amuses you."

When he could breathe again, Angel wiped tears from his eyes. "Do you have any stories where your clothes are on? Keep in mind I also know what you and Faith did to the Council roof."

"I think the world knows about that one at this point," I moaned, sitting up straighter, hearing footsteps on the walk. 

Dad got up and went to the door. He opened it before Faith could knock. She smiled at us, looking somehow still sober even as she did so. 

"Waiting up for me?" she asked, looking between us as if surprised we were still in the same room and hadn't trashed it yet.

"Connor and I were just catching up," he replied, shutting the door behind her.

She looked at me gravely, noting the cut above my eye. "So I see." She glanced back at Angel grimly.

"I didn't do that to him," Angel said, holding up his hands placatingly. "That was a result of our less than productive search."

Faith shrugged out of her leather jacket. "I hear you. Buffy and I didn't do well either. I need a shower."

"Go ahead. I think I'll head for bed," I said, stretching until my joints popped.

"And this time I'll let you," Angel said, heading off for his room.

I was almost asleep when Faith crawled under the covers. Her fingers brushed my forehead just above the gash. I kissed her. "Did it go badly with Buffy?"

"Not really. It was awkward. We talked a lot, maybe more than we should." Faith sighed. "I think it did us good to get it all out in the open."

"Good." I ran a hand up and down the curve of her hip. "Angel probably thinks we're perverts after our talk."

"We aren't?" She smiled at me.

"Probably." I kissed her again, snuggling closer to her.

She stroked my back. "You're falling asleep on me."

"Exhausted."

"You promised to tell me about Angel's Indiana Jones fantasies," she whispered, nibbling my earlobe.

"When I'm awake."

She nestled into me. Like I said before, Faith doesn't usually like me too close to her when we sleep. Tonight she must have needed comfort since she let me hold her while I fell asleep.


	4. Revelations

Author's Note – This has been edited to fit into the rating guidelines. If you want the unedited version and you're over 18 just email me.

CHAPTER FOUR

Are you feeling the pulse of my heart 

_In the palm of your hand_

_In the jail of your love_

_Are you feeling the pulse of my heart_

Buile Mo Chroi – Karan Casey 

I rolled over hoping for a cuddle but Faith's side of the bed was cold. Listening, I could hear her in the house, talking to Dad, telling him sleeping with me was like being in bed with a python. Unfortunately she was talking about my need to hold onto her when I slept as opposed to any favorable comparisons of my body parts.

I crawled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. When I got out to the kitchen, I froze. Standing at the stove in a ratty old shirt that barely covered anything, Faith was busy making breakfast. She rarely got these domestic urges and God help us when she did. The last time I had to choke down scrambled eggs liberally seasoned with eggshells. I kissed the back of her neck, tasting her salt and tried to identify what was cooking in the pan. I think it had four legs once but I wouldn't swear to it.

"What's for breakfast?" I dared ask.

"Steak and eggs," she replied, cheerily.

Oh God, that's what the greasy half charred things were in the other pan. Eggs floating in butter. My stomach was trying to crawl out past my ribs to save itself. "You know what would go good with this? Hot sauce. Got any Dad?" I forced a grin.

He picked it up off the table and wiggled it at me. Sunlight through the old stained glass window over the sink played across his face.  "Way ahead of you."

"Good man." I sat down and braced myself for breakfast. Keely and Mebd lay against the large kitchen's center island. It was so efficient it surprised me since Dad wasn't a cook either. Beyond the food prep surface of the island, it was made up of several cabinets and one corner of it was all glass and shelving for dish display. I never could figure out how to find the refrigerator. Dad's new modern kitchen, with its bright oak coloring, had a wood-fronted refrigerator door so it blended into the cabinets. I found it annoying. Keely and Mebd were either eyeing up Faith and her cooking or maybe casting longing glances to the back door and freedom of the yard. Knowing how well Faith cooked, I was all for racing across the yard and hopping the fence. I tried to distract myself from the wait.  "So what's the plan?"

"Giles won't be here until noon. You and I crapped out on our search for any clues to Ethan's plans." Angel drank his coffee greedily.

"Same for me and Buffy," Faith interrupted, heading for the table with the frying pan of terror. "We got a lot of  the shit in our past aired out so that's of the good but as for anything useful we got nowhere."

"Well, at least you and Buffy got things dealt with," I said as the steak and eggs hit my plate. "It's not even eight in the morning yet so we have hours to kill before Giles gets here. Any suggestions?" I spritzed the breakfast with a hefty dose of hot sauce.

"I'm going to work. So are Buffy, Spike and Xander. Of course, Spike doesn't open the pub until just before lunch," Angel said, taking an experimental bite. His eyes widened slightly but he tried to hide it.

"That doesn't help me," I said. Oh God, the hot sauce didn't help breakfast. What did she do to this? Was she sure it was steak and not a science experiment gone wrong that Willow forgot in Dad's fridge? Maybe it was road kill or a squirrel the dogs killed.

"You could always help Hamish, Wes, Willow and Maddie. You are a Watcher." Faith smirked at me and I stuck my tongue out at her. "Don't do that unless you plan to use it and I know you're not." She swatted me on the head.

"Hey." I rubbed at my head. Dad just shook his.

"I'm helping Dawn pick up some crap for her found-art studio. She needs someone to do the heavy lifting." Faith put the pans back and dug an apple out of the fridge for herself. So is she punishing us for something?

"I can help, too." I sounded more enthusiastic than the occasion warranted.

"It's a girls only day." She patted my shoulder. "I'd better go change into garbage picking clothes."

When Faith sailed out of the room, I put my plate on the floor. The two hounds perked up. "Come and get it."

"Don't you dare feed my dogs hot sauce," Dad grumbled.

"Fine." I picked up the plate and dumped my water glass over it. I flung the wet food to the dogs and poured the water into the sink. The hounds gobbled the food up. Oh to have the taste buds of a dog when my lady was in the kitchen.

"Done already?" Faith asked, coming back, still pulling down her shirt.

"I'm fast," I replied without thinking.

Faith grinned rapaciously. "So I've heard."

"You're too thin." Angel had a wicked smile in his eyes.

I didn't like where this was gone. "I'm fine."

"Your dad is right."

"Thank you, Faith." Dad shoved his plateful of death towards me. "Eat up."

"Betrayal all around." I dumped on more hot sauce, bracing my stomach for the assault. When Irish eyes are smiling, tis like a morn in spring, my ass. When Irish eyes are smiling, it means they're up to no good. "So I guess I'm stuck helping with the bookwork."

"You'll live." Faith kissed the top of my head, grabbing my hair. She started braiding it. 

"Well, Dad's going to work, maybe you could push meeting Dawn back a few hours and we can stay here," I said, smirking.

"My first class isn't until eleven," Angel said, purposefully not taking the hint.

"That'll make our room seem like Mrs. Ewel's sheets are on the bed," Faith said, her fingers deftly working my hair.

"It will not." I pouted.

"What?" Angel asked.

"Mrs. Ewel was a nice old lady whose very expensive townhouse was the center of spiritual activity of the nasty kind," I said. "In the middle of dehaunting the place, she decided Faith and I were newlyweds and gave us some thank you presents including these sheets."

"They're like being wrapped in a cloud," Faith interrupted, working out a knot in my hair.

"Seriously, makes you feel like a king. And we found out they were like two thousand dollar sheets," I said, still amazed at that. "So if those sheets are on the bed nothing happens there but sleep."

"The other rooms see a lot of action though," Faith said, tying my braid off with a red leather strip. Wonder where the black one went? I didn't like the colored ones.

"I get the picture all too vividly," Angel said, shuddering.

"A picture is about all I'm going to get, too." Faith sighed.

"Hey, Dad doesn't even want to picture it let alone hear us. No more than I want to hear him and Buffy," I said bitterly.

"For once, we're in total agreement," Dad said.

"See? Even thinking about it makes me lose my appetite." I pushed the plate away.

  
"Good try." Faith shoved the plate back. "Eat. Your pants barely stay on now and I'm not sure I can find you anything smaller without going to the juniors department."

Angel nearly choked on this coffee. I just rolled my eyes.

"See what I have to put up with?" I asked.

"Your life is so rough," Dad said without pity and escaped the kitchen without having to eat. The lucky bastard would probably go snag an Egg McMuffin or something. McDonalds' sucks but it's better than anything Faith could cook.

*                                                          *                                              *

I ended up helping Wes and company with the research. I swear, after awhile of me not being able to find anything in the books, they started making up shit for me to look up. I never heard of none of it and they had that look in their eyes, you know the one, where everyone's in on the joke but you. Finally I gave up and did some computer searches on Ethan and the aliases we knew for him. Nothing turned up at the airports or credit cards.

I headed off to help Spike open up his pub. I was useless to the other Watchers. Spike seemed surprised to see me knocking on the pub's door. 

"Whatcha doing here, kid?" he asked, opening up.

"I'm bored. I can't help with the research. I can't even spell 'glacrepperice nets' let alone tell you what it does or where to find it in a book." I headed inside, my eyes struggling to adjust to the darkness of the place. Spike had gone through some effort to make it look authentic, beyond the dark wood and hanging a few dartboards on the wall. The west wall was consumed by a fireplace with three roomy soft couches to encourage camaraderie over hunkering a table straining to watch a game on the tube. The actual bar might have been as old as Spike, oak maybe and carved with something vining.

"I hear you." Spike relocked the door behind us. "I'm just about to switch out a couple of kegs and I need a few cases of beer brought up from storage."

"That I can do."

We switched the kegs with ease. No one was around to see us moving full kegs like they weighed nothing. While I unloaded import beer bottles into the bar's coolers, Spike started the fryers and stuff like that in the kitchen. The oily smell of the fryers slid past the swinging kitchen doors as he went back there.

"How are things with Faith? I'm surprised she hasn't snapped you like a twig by now." Spike's voice floated out of the kitchen.

"Very funny. Things are good." I nearly fell into the cooler trying to shove bottles into the deepest part of the box. "Outside of this research stuff, I like what I do, too."

"Think Giles and Wes could get me a deal like yours?" Spike came out of the kitchen, leaning in the doorway.

I looked over my shoulder at him. I was shocked at the sad expression on his face. I wasn't used to that from Spike. "Are you serious?"

He nodded, his blond curls flopping. He had long ago given up on the slicked back look. "I've been thinking about selling this place and moving back to England."

"Not doing well here?" I asked stupidly. The look on his face told me what I needed to know. "Or is it about Buffy?"

"Buffy." Spike sat on one of the stools. "This isn't going anywhere. We're just dragging each other down. How long before none of us will even be able to remember what happiness is?"

"I'm sorry." And I meant that.

Spike stood on the brass rail and pulled a mug down, tossing it to me. "Thanks. Pour me an Abbot Ale. Help yourself to something."

I looked at the clock. Ten thirty in the morning wasn't too early to drink, right? I poured him his ale and myself a Guinness.

"She's never once said she loved me." He shuddered a bit, as if his body was just giving up life. "Did you know that?"

Man, if he started crying I wouldn't know what to do. But I could hear the tears in his voice. I didn't know what to say. "No, I didn't."

"I know she cares. She would have cut me loose years ago otherwise. When I was still a vampire I knew what we had was wrong." He lit up and tossed me the pack. I set it aside as I don't smoke. "I thought after I got my soul it would be different and it was. It was more like pity. That was worse than what we had. Now that I'm human I don't even know what we have. Something oddly comfortable." He took a swallow of the ale. "But stagnant."

I nodded. Did I tell him Dad felt the same way or keep my mouth shut? I went with the safer way and just let him talk. 

Spike got up with his mug, tapping my shoulder. He went to the pool table and racked up the balls. It was a bad break. He scowled at the table. "Figures. I know we feel something for each other but it's not exactly love. One of us just needs to let go. I'm thinking after everything I put her through over the years, it ought to be me. Lately we've just been digging up those bones."

I knew Spike had been out to kill her when he first came to Sunnydale, which already makes you doubt his smarts. What causes a vampire hunt out the Slayer? Okay, he had killed two already. But having more balls than brains isn't good for that long term planning or at least that's what the Watcher Council keeps cautioning me about. I knew about the chip and what the First did to him. I think there's a lot of ugliness I don't know about nor do I really want to. "Have you talked it out with her?" I asked, sinking a striped ball. 

"Well, I'm not just going to cut and run without telling her how I feel. Your father did that once already. I saw what it did to her." Spike sighed, sagging. He seemed to need the table to keep him on his feet. "No matter what happens, it'll be ugly."

"Yeah." I'd take his word for it. I've never really been dumped. I've only had three women in my life for any length of time. Cordelia and that ended badly but that had more to do with what had to be done to save the world than either of us wanting to end things between us. Dawn and I mutually agreed that being together, once we found out who each other was, was like sleeping with your sibling. And so far Faith doesn't seem inclined to leave me. "But you're friends, right? Or is that even possible once you leave?"

Spike snorted, missing the pocket with his shot. "I have no idea. Truth is, I'm probably better friends with that big wanker you call Dad than I am with her at this point."

"Well, you have known him longer." I picked at some initials some jackass carved into the expensive wood frame of the pool table.  "For several lifetimes."

Spike tapped me with the pool stick. "Don't remind me. You have no idea what it was like living with that pompous bleeder all that time. I was bad. Angelus made me look like a choir boy. But things usually went right for him up until that band of gyppos came along. Me, things always go all to cock no matter what. I shouldn't be surprised my relationship with Buffy did, too." He went back to the bar and poured us both another drink.

"Maybe you're doing the right thing," I suggested.

Spike just slapped my mug back into my hand. "Maybe. I don't think she ever really got over Angel. Riley knew it. That's why he moved on. I had no business ever falling in love with her in the first place. I sure as hell didn't want to. Tried to deny it. Maybe if Dru hadn't left me it would never had happened."

"Can't turn back time. Lord knows Dad would have for any number of reasons, the least of which would be keeping me from being raised in Hell," I said, putting Spike out of his misery at least as far as the pool game was concerned. The other misery was beyond me.

"Yeah, I keep trying to forget that. Every time I feel like I've been trampled by a Hellgod, I remember what it had to have been like for you," Spike said, staring at the pool table. "And who the hell taught you to play pool like that?"

"You!"

"Told you, all to cock, no matter what I do." Spike racked up the balls again. "They say you never forget your first love. I'm wondering if you never get over them. Angel'll tell you he never loved anyone until Buffy. He was her first great love with no offense to your Mum. Dru was mine and there are days that I wish she'd come back. I think, maybe I'd go off with her still. Of course, I'd have to die again to do it but sometimes I think…you know?" He looked at me, the scar over his eye twisting as his eyebrows arched.

"I guess. Maybe it's a little easier for me. There's no going back to my first love." I said, ready to kick myself for it. I hated to think about Cordelia, the sight of her body hanging from that tree in the Hyperion's courtyard where Wolfram and Hart's thugs faked her suicide.

"Yeah. Sorry." Spike did look remorseful.

I nodded. "You want me to talk to Giles about you when he gets here?"

"Quietly. I don't want Buffy getting wind of it before I make a decision and talk to her."

"I'm actually pretty good at keeping secrets," I said as I almost scratched. Luckily the cue ball bounced back out of the corner pocket.

  
Spike laughed. "I guess you would be. No one ever did suspect you were the one who took Angel out of the picture, did they?"

"Not once and I've gotten better with time." Maybe I shouldn't be proud of that but it was a skill. I didn't have all that many of them so I took pride in the ones I did have.

"I'd say let's have another beer but the staff will be here soon. Wouldn't do to be totally pissed before the bar even opens." Spike looked grim. "You okay staying at your dad's place?"

"More or less." I shrugged. "Faith's losing patience with me."

His eyes lit up, ready to peek inside someone else's pain for a change. "About what?"

"It's been a whole five days since we've done it." Oh, stupid, Connor. Why tell him? "She's getting impatient and I just can't…not with Dad in the house."

"Gotcha. I can't imagine Faith is quiet in bed." Spike smirked at me.

I chuckled, feeling a blush rising. "Not quite." I looked around at the pub. "You know, you've got a nice place here."

"Thanks." He leveled his gaze at me, giving me a look. "You and Faith keep off my pool tables."

"How about you challenge Dad to a few games and keep him out of the house for a few hours?" I shot back but I liked the pool table idea.

Spike tapped me with the pool cue. "That might be arranged."

*                                                          *                                              *

Spike's help arrived and he was still short one waitress. I called Buffy's house to see if Giles got in all right. He had and they were still working the research end. Wesley rather kindly suggested my help wasn't needed yet. I stayed at the Black Horse and helped Spike out. I'm no waitress but I'm sure going to tip better after this. There's something sinful about being stone drunk before two in the afternoon but several of his customers were. One of them grabbed my ass. I'm not sure if he thought I was a girl or he was gay or what but I'm lucky Spike didn't throw me out along with the drunk.

I had fish and chips at the bar, which more than made up for breakfast. I had time to kill before the big meeting at Buffy's so I headed home to wash the sweat and smoke off of me. I was half way through the shower when the phone rang. Figuring it might be Wes with news, I ran dripping to answer it. I found Buffy with the phone in hand. We both just stared at each other. She hung up the phone mechanically.

"Telemarketer."

"Uh, I didn't hear you come in over the water," I stammered, not really able to move. Why won't she just look away so I can escape?

"Sorry," Buffy said, blushing. She seemed unable to move as well.  "Giles wanted a book from Angel's library. I have a key and Angel's still on his way home from work." 

Not any more. I could hear the key in the lock but I wasn't prepared for Faith to be with him. They both stopped dead.

"Do I even want to know?" Angel's dark eyes narrowed but I could tell he wasn't really angry.

"I thought it was Giles on the phone." I gestured at the portable on the table. "I didn't know Buffy was here."

Angel snorted. "You're dripping all over my rug, son."

Taking that as the cue to escape I headed back for the bathroom but not before hearing Buffy ask, 'Faith, does his stomach always cave in like that?' I tried not to hear Faith's answer. I am not skinny. Why does everyone keep implying that? I toweled off furiously then pulled on my pants before rejoining them.

"Better?" I asked, holding my arms out to the side. Faith swatted my backside lightly.

"It's too late. Poor Buffy has to wash out her eyes," Dad said, looping a protective arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, for all you know she liked it," I said.

"He has a point, Angel." Buffy favored Dad with a naughty grin, coming over to me. She ran a hand through my wet hair.

I nuzzled her neck. Buffy tensed, obviously shocked. She was used to me being shy around her but Faith just grinned. She might actually got for this idea.

"See?" I smirked at Dad. "Tell you what, Dad, you take that book over to Giles and me and the girls will stay here."

Angel laughed. "You think you'd survive being the filling of a Slayer sandwich?"

I beamed, conjuring a mental image. "I'm willing to try."

Dad read that look and popped me on the shoulder. "Faith, control your man." 

"It'll probably just turn him on," she said, taking a handful of my hair, pulling me down.

It was just easier to go to my knees taking the pressure off my scalp. I slid an arm around Faith, pulling her closer. I kissed the soft skin of her belly peeking out from under her half shirt.

"I think Faith was right about that," Buffy said, going over to give Dad a kiss hello.

"That's what I'm afraid of. We probably should get over to your house, Buffy, before the little pervert gets out of hand," Angel said.

"Coming from you I should be highly offended." I eyed him sourly. "I know the things you used to do."

"So it's inherited. Good to know," Buffy said, heading for the library. "I have to get that book Giles wanted."

"Oh, so that's why she's here," Faith said, letting me up. 

"Yep." I pulled her close, kissing her quick. "How'd you end up coming home with Dad?"

"Dawn dropped me off there. She teaches a night class there tonight so it was just easier to catch a ride with Angel." Faith pushed my wet hair off my cheek. "How'd the research go?"

"Don't know," I replied. "They sent me to help Spike open the bar."

"You did that well with the inquiry." Dad seemed a little depressed at that. 

"I'm just not a research guy."

"Do me a favor," Dad said. "Just don't replace Xander as the dullest knife in the drawer."

Buffy whacked him with the book she had retrieved. "Be nice."

Angel gave her a sheepish look and we all headed out to his car. When we got to Buffy's place, everyone was there except for Dawn. My hair had been rebraided and most of the snickering at my expense had died down. Xander must have ordered up a mess of Chinese. Smells of hot and sour soup, Hunan beef, orange chicken and Kung Pao shrimp wafted out of the house.

"Grab some food and find a place to sit," Willow said. "Nice braid, Connor. Love the tie."

I fingered the bright red strip of leather self-consciously.

"You look like Duo from _Gundam Wing_," Xander added and several of the Scoobies started snickering.

"What?" The reference went right over my head.

"That's who you are, a Japanese anime character," Xander decided.

"Thanks," I muttered heading for the kitchen. Giles was there helping himself to some lo mein. "Hey, Giles."

He turned and smiled. "You're looking well, Connor."

"I'm doing good. Kinda useless with all the research but looking forward to kicking Ethan's ass." I smiled at the thought. "I still owe him for last time."

Giles gave me a look that I wasn't sure wasn't pity for being foolhardy or simply amusement. "Hopefully it'll be as easy as that."

"But not likely, right?" I ladled out a bowl of hot and sour soup.

"He's got a knack for getting out of trouble relatively unscathed," Giles said, heading into the living room.

Once we all had our dinners and had crammed into the small room, the meeting started.

"So do we know what Ethan wants?" Buffy led us off.

"I don't think that he wants anything. I believe he's being paid by the Fratelli," Giles replied. "We reasoned he's here to distract you, Buffy."

"Me? From what?" Her pale eyebrows raised.

Giles plucked his glasses off for a quick cleaning. "That's what we don't know yet."

"Why would they be targeting Buffy beyond the obvious?" Xander forked up a helping of beef.

"We assume whatever the Fratelli are planning requires the Slayer is incapacitated," Wesley said.

"Then why only pick on Buffy?" Dawn shot her sister a protective look.

"Maybe cause whatever they're doing has to be done here in Sunnydale," I said and all eyes turned to me. I suddenly froze up. I'm not used to being the center of attention. I'm not usually idea man. "I mean, Faith is all over the place. She could have been in Sydney or Tokyo or wherever. She might not get back in time to stop them but Buffy's always here. So they have to get her out of the way."

"That makes a lot of sense." Hamish looked way too shocked that I had a good idea. It hurt a little.

I glanced over at Angel, smirking. See Dad, I'm not dumber than Xander.

"So our best plan is to figure out what the Fratelli are up to," Wesley said.

  
"That sounds like more book work," Buffy said. "Me and Faith ought to hit the streets, see what we can learn."

"I think we should try warding Buffy against magic, too. I would have to be general since we don't know what Ethan is going to do but it's better than nothing." Willow set aside her plate.

"Good idea. Buffy, you might want to wait until Willow does that." Giles put his glasses back on. "Let Faith go out and start patrol."

"I can take the far side of town and work back," Faith said, resting her strong hand on my thigh. "Connor can come with me."

"Works for me," I said. Patrolling, beating up demons, those were things I was good at. Always go with your strengths.

Buffy glanced over at us. "Angel, Spike and I will meet you out there somewhere."

"Can we borrow the GTX, park somewhere more central?" I asked Dad and he surrendered the keys with the warning not to dent it. Yeah, like that's what I planned on doing first chance I got. Why do people tell you that? Who purposely sets out to dent the car?

  
Faith and I eradicated a murder of vampires who had selected a 70's dance at the Bronze as their feeding ground, then we took out a few demons I didn't even know the name of and leaned on some others to find out anything about Ethan or the Fratelli. We still came up empty. The Fratelli must be craftier than most of the other things I've come up against or they were taking out all witnesses to their activities. 

At least it felt good to pound on the demons but then again it felt terrible, too. I felt useless except for this part of my job. I'm not dumb. I just don't try. Maybe it's time to let Wesley train me the way he wanted to. I wasn't sure why I was getting all introspective and down on myself. Maybe it was being around Dad. I wanted him to be proud of me and I didn't think he was. Dad prizes brains and I ain't got them or at least I don't use them.

We had teamed up with Buffy briefly. She had her two boys in tow. At least Dad and Spike worked well together. A few more hapless vampires died but you can't really feel sorry for them. I mean, beyond the fact they're vampires, if they move into the Slayer's territory you have to figure they're either dumb or have a death wish so why not remove them from the feeding grounds? Buffy wasn't having any more luck when it came to the Fratelli or finding any traces of Ethan. Finally we parted ways again to go back over the ground we had already covered once.

  
Faith and I dragged back to the car. We were still short on sleep. Nothing bothered us on our way back. Faith took the keys from me. She always says I drive like a maniac. She drove the car to the edge of the woods and parked. 

"Think they could be holed up somewhere back in that mess, off the trail?" she asked, not looking thrilled with the idea. Faith was a city girl. She didn't like being surrounded by trees. I did. That created a little friction from time to time.

"Could be."

We looked around but it was obviously a losing battle, too much ground, too dark and Faith's dislike for being in the underbrush was showing. She couldn't move as silently as she needed to. Finally we gave up, deciding it would be better to come back when it was light and we had more bodies to do the search with.

When we got back to the car, Faith caught me, pushing me back against the car. That's right, _mo chroi_, dent Dad's GTX.  Her mouth found mine greedily. I reached into the car and put the key in the ignition, turning it just enough for the radio to come on and drown out any noises we might be making. She shoved me backwards, toppling me into the back seat. Faith slithered on top of me, pulling at my shirt.  She left my head and hands captured in the cloth as she nipped at my neck.

I squirmed out of my shirt as she ground against me. She bowled me back against the soft backseat of Dad's car, catching me between her legs. Her hands ran up my back. 

Our tryst ended abruptly when I heard, "Hey, Peaches, ain't that your car?"

I froze. Oh shit. What the hell were Spike and Dad doing near the woods? Was Buffy with them?

"Don't stop," Faith hissed, her teeth catching my earlobe.

"Oh, that's smart, leave it by the woods with the top down so anyone can steal it," Dad bitched.

"Hopefully they're around here somewhere," Buffy said, "Wesley is about to go through the roof because they aren't answering Connor's cell phone."

My phone? I glanced in the wheel well and saw my phone was missing off my belt. I could hear it vibrating somewhere in the front seat. Damn. 

"Don't answer it," Faith said.

I grabbed the edge of the car door and pulled myself up just a bit, just so I could see the interlopers. "Go away!"

"Oh, for the love of…not in my car," Angel moaned.

Spike snickered. "Pull up a rock and watch. You could probably use the tips, Peaches."

"You two are detailing that car," Dad said, ignoring Spike.

"Yeah, I sit back there," Buffy said.

"That's probably not all you do, B," Faith shot back, her short nails digging into my ass. That'll teach me to get shy. How do I get into these sorts of things?

"I'm not sure which rates as the grossest thing that have happened on that back seat, you two or Angel and anyone," Spike said.

I heard Angel's fist hit something meaty and Spike grunted. 

"Watch the shoulder, Nancy boy," Spike said and I could smell the strike of his match on the ignition strip.

"It's neither. The most disgusting thing to happen back there was Darla's water breaking. Connor was almost born on that back seat," Angel replied.

"Oh, ewww," Buffy said.

I echoed her, rolling off Faith and landing in the wheel well, doing a full body shudder. "Thanks for nothing, Dad."

"Yeah, way to turn him impotent," Faith said, sitting up, looking for her shirt. She didn't mind flashing everyone.

"I'm not impotent," I grated out.

"Yeah right. You might as well answer your phone," Faith said, tugging on her pants.

I pulled on my jeans then answered the phone. "Yeah, what?…I was busy…uh-huh. Okay. Buffy's here with us. We'll be back there soon enough." I hung up and tried to find where my shirt went. It was on the ground outside of the car. I fished it up. "You guys just couldn't go away?"

"Well, we know it wouldn't have taken you long but they want us back at Buffy's," Spike said, grinning around his cigarette.

I flipped him off. "So Wes just informed me."

"The car's the fastest way back," Buffy said, getting in the front seat.

"And you thought they wanted the car because they were too lazy to walk across town," Spike said, squeezing in beside her.

"Shut up Spike," Angel and I said together. 

"You dented the side panel," Dad complained. sliding behind the wheel.

"That was Faith," I said and she pinched my side.

"So what is the big emergency that we all have to go racing home for?" Faith's expression went all business. 

"Wes was pretty cryptic. He just said we have visitors from L.A. and they have news," I said.

"If this could have waited, Wes is going to be my personal piñata," Faith grumbled. "And I'm using one of these three as the stick." She pointed at the front seat.

Spike turned and looked at us. "Hey, you two can carry on while Peaches drives. I don't mind."

"I do," Buffy and Angel chorused.

"Drop dead," I growled.

"Been there done that, got up and walked around afterwards," Spike replied.

"Did Giles or Hamish tell you guys anything more insightful than we got visitors?" I asked.

"No. Guess we'll find out soon enough," Dad said.

 Yeah, great. This was going to turn out bad. I don't know how I knew it but I did.


	5. Ethan's opening gambit

CHAPTER FIVE  
  
I didn't know the blonde sitting in Buffy's livingroom but I knew the sleek arrogant man with her, Lindsey MacDonald. This did not bode well. Yeah, we couldn't have stopped Wolfram and Hart's apocalypse without him but I didn't trust Lindsey as far as I could throw Dad. Okay, so I can toss Angel pretty far but he's getting hefty on me. Lindsey smirked at me and Faith.  
  
"Heard you two were still together." He said it like it was totally unbelievable.  
  
"I thought you were back in Oklahoma," I replied, resisting the urge to flash him an obscene gesture. "So what were you doing in Los Angeles?'  
  
"I called him." The blonde came over to me, staring at me as if I'd turned purple or something. She was making me nervous. "When Wes contacted me to see if I had heard anything about the Fratelli or Ethan Rayne, I did some checking around. I found out that they both had contacts with Wolfram and Hart. Since the only one-time member of the firm I knew of who had survived their apocalypse was Lindsey, I gave him a call." She paused, glancing over at Faith. "You look well, Faith."  
  
"Thanks. You back on the force, Kate?" Faith seemed cool to this woman which intrigued me. Faith didn't exactly like everyone but when she lost her casual attitude I knew something bad was going to happen or had happened.  
  
"Actually Angel's allowed me to use his name to revive Angel Investigations," Kate said and something clicked in my memory.  
  
"Kate? You're the detective Dad's told me about." I felt curious about this ordinary-seeming woman. From what Dad's told me, there had to be depths to her I wasn't seeing.  
  
"I was wondering if you were Angel's son." Her eyes pinned me, taking a careful appraisal  
  
"Yeah, lucky me." I flipped my braid back over my shoulder.  
  
"I'm standing right here, son." Angel yanked my braid.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "So, I'm guessing that you two know something important to tell us since you drove all this way."  
  
"Yeah, he's still on a tear about this meeting. He was real busy when we interrupted." Spike smirked at me.  
  
"Not busy enough," Faith said and I nudged her.  
  
"That's as close to a poke I'm going to get all night, isn't it?" Faith nudged me back, knocking me into Angel.  
  
"Please ignore her," I said, as Dad ping-ponged me back to Faith.  
  
Lindsey snorted as I dragged Faith down on the couch. "Kate contacted me and I was really of a mind to say screw this. I've been out of this stuff for a long time and hey, with Wolfram and Hart destroyed that beyond-life contract I signed was null and void. I'm truly free and I didn't need to be involved with this."  
  
"We get the point, Lindsey. What do you know about the Brothers?" Angel looked irritated. I don't blame him.  
  
Lindsey scowled at him. "They have been slowly amassing power like Wolfram and Hart. They're much quieter about it though, extremely secretive."  
  
"The Watchers knew this much," Hamish interrupted. Just like most Watchers, he couldn't just let someone say his piece.  
  
"No doubt. But the real important part is that they're good at opening portals and exploiting other worlds or bringing things across. They're the ones who developed the spell that Lilah used to open a portal to Quor-Toth. It's the Brothers' fault you grew up in that hell, Connor." Lindsey looked almost apologetic.  
  
I curled my lip. It never occurred to me I'd actually know how I ended in Quor-Toth. Oh, I knew it was a Wolfram and Hart spell but now I knew the true source. "Then I owe them something."  
  
"What could happen if they opened the Hellmouth?" Buffy's face was grim.  
  
"One assumes Hell on earth," Lindsey replied. "But I'm not sure that's their intent. They have more modest goals from what little I know. No need to get greedy and release something they might not be able to control. Wolfram and Hart should have taken a page from their book."  
  
"Glad they didn't since being all 'hey look at what we can do' helped us to destroy them," Xander said then his face darkened. "Then again if they had been more modest I might have two good legs and a living wife." His eyes widened when he realized what he had said. He gave Willow an apologetic look. "Sorry, hon."  
  
She squeezed his hand. "It's okay."  
  
I did feel for them. I think from what I've been told, they had had feelings for each other since they were really young but things happened, tastes changed. Now they had gone full circle. I think they are happy together and there really was too little of that in our lives.  
  
"Do you know what they want now, Lindsey? Why would they be in collusion with Ethan Rayne?" Wesley propped his chin on his hand, looking as tired as I was beginning to feel. It was nearly three in the morning.  
  
Lindsey shook his head. "Not a clue. I've been out of the game way too long. I told Kate that this could have been done by phone for what little I know but Kate insisted."  
  
"They might need our help," Kate argued. "It's just better this way."  
  
Lindsey didn't look convinced. Personally, I didn't mind having help but reluctant help could be a hindrance instead. After a few more 'I don't know's' from Lindsey and we ended up calling it a night. Faith didn't even have the energy to accost me once we got home. We both just collapsed onto the bed and were dead to the world almost instantly.  
  
* *  
*  
  
The next morning, I woke up with a pounding headache but at least Faith was still in bed spooned up in front of me. It meant two things, no breakfast of death and I might get some morning loving. And the parts of me that were obviously awake before my brain was would definitely appreciate that. I lipped the soft skin of her neck, sucking gently.  
  
She woke stretching against me. "Hungry, baby?"  
  
My answer was to nibble along her shoulder Her skin felt like warm silk. Faith shifted, dragged me on top of her. Her mouth met mine, her tongue slithering into me. All in all this was a nice way to start a morning and it was about time we could enjoy each other. Before I could even think of arousing her more, Dad thumped on the door.  
  
"They need us at Buffy's," he called through the wood.  
  
"Can't it wait?" I moaned. Faith looked ready to kill.  
  
"Go take a cold shower and get dressed."  
  
I heard him moving off. "Is he trying to punish me?"  
  
"It doesn't look like he's getting much lovin' lately and if he ain't, you ain't," Faith said, rolling out from under me. "Then again, it's probably just another apocalypse."  
  
"Oh, like we don't stop one of those every third Wednesday."  
  
By now parts of me were no longer staring at the ceiling so the cold shower wasn't necessary. Once me and Faith dragged out of the bedroom, Angel tossed us a power bar and pointed to the door. I know they're full of carbo- goodness but frankly the dog biscuits would have had more taste.  
  
We were the last to arrive at Buffy's, except for Kate and Lindsey and I'm not betting they were invited to this pow wow. Everyone looked a little like the living dead since it had been such a late night. Giles had tea waiting for us, good man. I sat on the floor, leaning up against the wall near the fireplace and Faith sat next to me, her hand dangerously on my thigh.  
  
"We've heard from Ethan," Giles said without preamble, catching all of our attentions.  
  
"Why would he do that?" I was stunned. What sort of villain advertized?  
  
"He's taunting us. Ethan's in it for the fun as well as the money and power," Giles said, looking over his glasses at us.  
  
"He's given us directions to a house. He said we'd be very interested in what we find there," Hamish added, brandishing a letter. How old fashioned of Ethan.  
  
"A trap," Faith said.  
  
Buffy nodded. "Probably."  
  
"So how are we handling this?" Dad leaned over his knees, staring at Giles and Hamish.  
  
"That's what we're trying to decide," Hamish replied. "One of the Slayers will have to stay behind. It'd be stupid to risk you both."  
  
"Faith stays," Buffy said quickly and I felt my lover bristle at that.  
  
"A little fast on the volunteering me, there, B." Faith smiled coldly. "It's you the Brothers want out of the way. I say you stay behind and let's give them a wild card."  
  
"Normally I'd agree with Faith," Giles said. "However, the letter is quite specific as to what will happen if Buffy doesn't go."  
  
"Death, a lot of it," Buffy said grimly.  
  
"So we definitely know this is a trap for you, Buffy," Spike said.  
  
"Or it's a diversion," Angel said. "It wouldn't be the first time Buffy's been lured away so her friends could be attacked. I know. I've done it to her before and it works well because she cares too much. That's supposed to be a weakness in a Slayer."  
  
I knew what Dad had done to Buffy as Angelus but it was a shock to hear him admitting to it. Buffy looked so pained you would have thought it happened yesterday.  
  
"So the trap could be for those of us staying behind." Willow didn't look worried. If I had her magic I wouldn't be either. "Fine, I'll stay behind," Faith said. "Just in case."  
  
"Giles, Wes and I have discussed who we think we should go," Hamish said and I frowned. Once again I was the only Watcher not consulted. I was getting annoyed. I had survived things that they couldn't even guess at. I was more than muscle. "Willow, Spike, Angel, Connor and myself. Faith, I know that leaves only you as a person of power here. Still, Xander and Dawn can handle themselves. Dawn, Kate was asking for your help with her research into this. Willow's taught you enough tricks on the computer to assist Kate and Lindsey tracking down any of Wolfram and Hart's files on the Brother if they still exist. They'll be here soon. Wes and Giles will be doing the book work."  
  
"I still think that I should go with them," Giles said.  
  
"We agreed that you were getting a little too...slow for the field work," Hamish said, a bit too arrogantly for my tastes. Especially since we all knew he meant Giles was too old.  
  
"I think Giles should come," I said and Hamish glared at me. "He knows Ethan. He knows magic, too. He's the one who got me and Dawn unstuck from one another after what Ethan did to us. Giles knows best how Ethan's mind works. He'd be the first to spot a trap."  
  
"I'm with Connor. Giles comes," Buffy said, giving her current Watcher a look that kept him quiet.  
  
Hamish nodded, his shaggy blond hair falling over his eyes. "You make a good point, Connor." Well, there's a miracle; Hamish conceding a point. "Anyone else have any thoughts on this?"  
  
No one did. We piled into Dad's and Hamish's cars and followed the directions to a very innocuous looking house in the middle of Sunnydale. It was an unlikely place for a trap. The for rent sign was still in the front yard. We hung back as Buffy went up on the white wood porch. There was something attached to the door, a piece of bright yellow paper. She brought it over to us.  
  
"All it says is 'go on in and wake up the sleeping beauties'," she said. I could see the growing annoyance in her agate eyes.  
  
Giles examined the paper, shoving up his glasses. "It's Ethan's hand writing but this seems like just a regular note, no hints it was a key to a spell."  
  
"The trap could still be inside," Buffy said. "Angel, you, me and Hamish will go in the front. Connor, Spike, Will and Giles try the back door."  
  
Spike was the first to the back door. It wasn't locked. "I have a bloody bad feeling about this," the blond ex-vampire muttered.  
  
"We all do," Willow said, waving for him to go in. The place looked perfectly homey. Either it was a furnished rental or Ethan had gone to a lot of trouble. Our door led into the kitchen which was empty. My senses assured me of that but there was something odd. It tickled my nose.  
  
"Smell that?" I whispered to Spike who nodded.  
  
"A man's cologne, and something that smells girlie."  
  
I flared my nostrils, taking another good whiff. "And that faint odor, like wet dirt," I said.  
  
Willow glanced around. "I don't see any dirt."  
  
Neither did I. We trailed through the downstairs and met up with the others at the foot of the steps.  
  
"Nothing?" Buffy looked disappointed.  
  
"Just an odd smell," I said.  
  
"Like mud," Dad added.  
  
"Yeah. Is there a basement? I asked.  
  
"Not that we saw. Do we all go up?" Buffy pointed toward the second floor.  
  
"In for a pence, in for a pound," Spike said, heading up.  
  
There were four doors, two on either side of the steps. Buffy went to the first one and opened it. Nothing jumped out but the smell of earth and femininity strengthened. Someone lay on the bed, covered in what looked like gauze. It was just enough to keep us from seeing who she was. Giles, Hamish and Willow hung back as the rest of us went in.  
  
"Sleeping beauty?" Spike asked.  
  
"You do the kissing," Angel said with a wry grin and Spike shot him the bird. I think we were all half expecting sleeping beauty to be something demonic ready to kill the first person to touch her.  
  
And none of us seemed to want to be the first to do so. I went to the bed and quickly snagged one end of the cloth, flipping it back. I almost went to my knees. I heard Dad saying her name but it didn't register with me. She was so beautiful lying there like a princess in white, her walnut hair longer than I ever remembered seeing it. Her skin was deeply tanned. The last time I saw her she was waxen grey with a horrible bruise around her neck, her eyes and tongue bulging from her skull.  
  
"Cordelia?" I whispered. She stirred as if coming out of a deep sleep. She woke slowly, rubbing at her eyes. She sat up looking around uncomprehendingly.  
  
"Giles, Ham, Will get in here!" Buffy screamed. I could hear the panic in her voice.  
  
"Oh my goddess!" Willow cried.  
  
Cordelia looked at her hands as if they didn't belong to her. "Where...I don't belong here. Wasn't I?" She looked up at us. "Why are you all here? I was dead. I remember dying!" Tears started flowing down her face. She startled me when she flung herself out of bed into my arms. "Connor!"  
  
I wrapped my arms around her. I had no words for her. I couldn't comfort her. My mind was shut down, my hands moving soothingly over her back out of reflex, not conscious thought.  
  
"How is this possible?" Hamish asked.  
  
"More importantly, why?" Angel said.  
  
"The letter said 'beauties'," Giles reminded us. Oh God, what had Ethan done?  
  
I pushed Cordelia back down on the bed. "We have to check the rest of the house, Cordy. We'll be right back. We'll figure this out," I babbled.  
  
"No, don't leave." She clawed at me, trying to hang on.  
  
"I'll be right across the hall," I said, not sure why I just didn't let the others do the rest of the looking. I just couldn't be in this room with the resurrected first love of my life. I'm a coward. We all stumbled across the hall.  
  
On the bed in this room were two women under the same gauzy cloth. Buffy tore the cover off and Willow fainted dead away. She would have hit her head on the end table if Spike hadn't caught her and lowered her to the ground. I recognized Anya but I didn't know the plain girl lying at her side.  
  
"Tara," Buffy whispered and Willow's reaction made sudden sense. I had been told about Tara.  
  
Buffy raced out of the room and down to the other end of the hall. We followed numbly. We left Giles by the third room as someone named Jenny started to revive. I thought the last room was going to kill Buffy. All she said was, 'mom' and collapsed on the bed with the older woman, dissolving into tears. Seeing Buffy's mom, Spike looked like someone had staked him.  
  
I don't know how long it took for us to filter downstairs with five women back from the dead. Most of us were still fairly hysterical. No trap manifested itself but the emotional dagger these women represented was trap enough. "Why would Ethan and the Brothers bring back all of our loved ones?" Hamish asked. "This isn't a trap. It's more like a gift."  
  
"I was torn from heaven once," Buffy said harshly. "This isn't a gift, it's a curse."  
  
"The diversion," Angel said softly. "They found the perfect diversion."  
  
I knew Dad was right. How could we concentrate on anything but the return of those who had meant so much to us? Even knowing this was meant to divert me, it didn't help me concentrate on figuring out what Ethan and the Brothers might be up to. Cordelia was still clinging to me and Angel both. I couldn't think beyond that and I knew how dangerous that was. 


	6. Tracking the bad guys

CHAPTER SIX There's a fault in this world And I won't forgive God The sun in your eye that comes between me and the light of the sky There's a fault in this world. Karan Casey - Buile mo Chroi  
  
I still felt like vomiting. I think I understood my father better at this moment than I ever had, tasted the pain he lived with. Maybe I understood Buffy for the first time ever. Before this, I could never understand why she couldn't chose between Spike and Dad but now I did. Even though me and Cordy ended long before she was murdered, I still loved her. More than that, I realized how much I loved Faith. I hadn't given it much thought before. We had fun together. We worked well and the sex was great. It never occurred to me it might be more but there it was. I loved Faith. Oh dear God, I was in trouble.  
  
I wanted to go back to Dad's, sink into the hot tub and pretend the world didn't exist. I just couldn't take the tension inside the Summers' house so I sat out on the back steps. Even Kate and Lindsey were subdued. They had known Cordy. I think Lindsey might have liked her. For once, Xander had been speechless. I could only imagine what he was feeling. His first wife was back from the grave and Cordy, one of his first loves, came with to top it off. He didn't even have the support of Willow, who was barely functioning thanks to seeing Tara again.  
  
The door opened and I was hoping for Faith. The heavy footfalls told me it was Dad even before the night breeze carried his scent to me. He sat next to me, our shoulders barely touching. Even so, that was comforting.  
  
"Are you okay, son?" he asked after several moments of silence.  
  
"That'd be a stretch." I looked over at him. "How about you?"  
  
"It was a bit of a shock to see Cordy alive," he admitted. " But I've seen people back from the dead before. Buffy, Darla; I'm a little more used to it than you."  
  
"Ever had to face one you killed before?" I asked. "Like Jenny." That was cruel of me. I knew how much Dad regretted killing her and I had no idea why it just popped out. "Sorry. I don't know why I said that."  
  
"It's all right. If Jenny remembers anything, I'll have to confront what I did. Even if she doesn't, the rest of us know." Angel's big hand closed over his knee, squeezing as if to steady himself. "But the answer's yes. I killed your mother once. I'm not sure if I ever told you that. Buffy sent me to hell. We already know how hard it is to face up to that."  
  
I shifted my weight. Had I known how Mom had died the first time? I couldn't remember. I didn't like to think about her. "Have they remembered anything?" When I had walked out, the women were still working on getting past the fact they were back from the dead. We weren't even sure their minds were intact. Mostly they just cried and moaned. Sometimes they'd mumble a name. Buffy had told us how hard it had been to readjust to being alive, how horrible it had been. Dad had concurred. Spike had been remarkable quiet about it, none of his usual braggadocio. He just shuddered and said he never wanted to do anything like it again.  
  
Angel shook his head. "They're still in shock."  
  
"I should go in there, be supportive or something. I'm out here being so useless." I shut my eyes. I have always hated not having control of a situation. I needed it desperately and yet I so rarely had it.  
  
"You're not useless, Connor. You're in an ugly position that no one should ever have to be in."  
  
I shook my head, my braid whipping Dad's shoulders until he caught it, dragging me in closer. "Xander is in a worse situation. I can't even imagine it and he's in there."  
  
Angel didn't say anything. He just put his arm around me.  
  
"I know that I should be concentrating on what Ethan and the Brothers are up to," I babbled, "but all I can think of is Cordelia is inside and she is alive." Worming free of Dad's protective arm, I got up. I headed back into the house. I didn't have to look to know he was following.  
  
Several shell shocked faces turned to me as I entered the living room. We all looked like the living dead. Some texts had made it to the table but the research had been abandoned, at least by this part of our crew. Wes and Ham weren't here, nor were Buffy and Dawn. I was sure the latter two were upstairs.  
  
"You'd think with as many people we have here, we'd have some Valium or something," Xander was saying.  
  
"I think Maddelena and I can cast a sleep spell over..." Willow trailed off, but it was good just to see her thinking coherently again. "They could do with a rest and maybe when they wake, we'll be better prepared to help with the, uh...transition."  
  
Xander snorted. "I meant the Valium for me. But your idea is a good one, too."  
  
"Agreed," Giles said. "Are you sure you're up to this, Willow?"  
  
From her expression I could tell Willow had her doubts but she nodded. "I have to be." She didn't sound convincing but I knew she'd find the strength. Willow usually came through.  
  
"What can we do to help?" I asked.  
  
"I can assist Willow and Maddelena," Giles said. "Why don't you help Ham and Wes? Xander and Angel, your energy would be best used there. Yours, too, Spike."  
  
I didn't argue. I knew Faith, Buffy and Dawn were upstairs, trying to keep the rresurrectees calm and corralled in the bedrooms. Wes and Hamish were at the dining room table, making a half-hearted attempt at sifting through the texts for clues.  
  
"This rots," Spike said, taking a seat. "We should be doing something for them, not mucking through this stuff." He jerked a thumb up at the ceiling.  
  
"That's exactly what the Fratelli want," Dad said and Spike glowered at him. If either of them started a pissing match, I'd kill them.  
  
"Angel's right. We have to focus, hard as it might be," Hamish said. He looked fairly shocked but he had to have the clearest mind out of all of us. After all, he hadn't known any of the dead women.  
  
"You do the focusing," I said. "You're the least emotionally vested in this." Dad gave me a weird look. I think the word 'vested' bugged him. He wasn't used to me talking Watcher-like, all educated and everything.  
  
"The amount of magic..." Wes trailed off, his eyes wide. "Do you know how much power this requires."  
  
"So you're suggesting Ethan didn't act alone," I said, staring at him.  
  
"There's no reason to think that he did. The Fratelli have any number of mages at their disposal," Wes replied.  
  
"The question is, why use him at all?" Hamish looked at me and Dad as if our prior encounters with Ethan might shed some light onto this.  
  
"He might have volunteered," Dad replied, shuffling the books in front of him aimlessly. "He has a history with all of us and would love to cause us trouble."  
  
"And sometimes magical things turn up in the weirdest places," Spike put in. "It's possible Ethan had something the Fratelli wanted and he had them cut him in."  
  
"Too bad we just can't ask him," Hamish said, flipping open one of the text.  
  
That gave me an idea. We still needed to find Ethan and the other mage. I knew how I might do that and the solution wasn't in the books laid out in front of me. Sometimes I'm so busy pretending to be entirely human that I ignore my superior senses. I got up and headed upstairs. Faith came over to me, curiosity in her dark eyes.  
  
"The spell worked." She took my hand, giving it a squeeze. I pressed my lips to her forehead quickly, as a thank you for the support.  
  
"Good. Think you could get me some of their clothing?"  
  
"Do I want to know why?" Faith shot me a disturbed look.  
  
"I'm going to try something," I replied.  
  
Faith complied without further questions. Dawn and Buffy returned with her. Their eyes all screamed 'what the hell are you up to?' I took one of the garments from Faith and put it to my nose. Cordy's scent rose from the dress, making me weak kneed. My balls tightened as memories of her flooded back, permeating me as her scent filled my senses. I shunted the remembrances aside, sifting through the aromas until I got a good lock on the underlying masculine scent. I handed it back to Faith and took the other dress. It carried the scent of one of the women I didn't know, Tara, but under it was the same masculine scent.  
  
"You're going to track the person who dressed them," Faith guessed and Dawn looked relieved. I didn't want to know what she thought I was up to.  
  
"Track but...you can do that, too?" Buffy looked surprised. "I know vampires can."  
  
"It's part of my demon heritage. I just hope the person who dressed them is the one who brought them back to life."  
  
"Even if he's not, he'll know who did this to Mom," Dawn said, shuddering. Her pretty eyes hardened."You find him."  
  
I nodded, taking the clothing back from Faith. "I'll get Dad and Spike to help."  
  
"You have to take those?" Buffy gestured to the clothing.  
  
"If we lose the scent, we can use these to focus," I replied. "Is Maddelena still up here?"  
  
"Back with Giles and Willow in the room with Mom and Tara." Buffy pointed down the hall.  
  
"You want a mage to go with," Faith said.  
  
"It would be smart," I replied.  
  
"Want me or Buffy to come, too?" Faith brushed a stray lock of my long hair back.  
  
"No. Dad and Spike are more than enough. You stay here and protect them." I waved a hand to indicate the rooms upstairs and the ladies within.  
  
I rounded up Maddie and we headed back down to the kitchen. I lateraled the clothes to Angel. "We should be able to track down at least one of the bastards."  
  
"Good plan, kid." Spike got up, taking a dress to give it a sniff. "It beats doing nothing."  
  
Dad got plastic bags and after getting the scent he put the garments in the bags to help preserve the scent. We maintained an eerie silence back to the house we found the ladies in. The scent was the same inside the home but I couldn't tell if it was Ethan's. I had blocked him from my mind. I didn't want any remembrances of him. We tracked around the house but he got into a car. We had better senses than humans but we weren't bloodhounds.  
  
"It was a good idea, son, but it's not going to work." Dad sounded tired and oddly apologetic.  
  
"Maybe it will. I don't know how to cast a tracking spell to follow a scent but maybe I can boost your natural abilities to follow it," Maddelena said.  
  
"It's worth a try," I said, in no way ready to give up.  
  
Maddelena chanted her spell and it was like my sense had suddenly exploded. It was overwhelming. I was hyper aware, maddeningly so. I couldn't even move, stunned by the sensory input. Dad moved first. I knew he was heading the right way. I could smell that man mixed in with the exhaust fumes.  
  
Spike headed for the car. Dad cut him off, shoving the keys at Maddelena. "Drive, Maddie. We need to concentrate."  
  
She complied. We drove through town, our heads hanging out the windows like hounds. We were able to follow the scent. It led to a very average house smack dab in the middle of other utterly average homes. There was a light on in the downstairs window.  
  
"What now?" Spike grumbled. "Do we just burst in on them?"  
  
"And if we have the wrong house?" Maddelena asked.  
  
"Our other option is to just knock on the door," Angel said.  
  
"Bugger that." Spike started for the house. "We can at least peep in and see if the bastard's home."  
  
We let him go. Arguing with Spike was like trying to get cockle burrs out of long hair, frustrating and pointless since you're bound to lose. At least he'd be the first one hit if something was waiting for us. After standing on tip toe at all the windows, he waved us on.  
  
"Don't see a damn thing," he said softly.  
  
"Guess it's the door then," I said. "Only problem, if it's Ethan he knows all of us except you, Maddelena. He might open the door to you."  
  
"Guess I'm elected then." She brushed back her dark unruly hair and knocked on the door. No on answered. She tried the knob. "It's open."  
  
We headed in. His scent permeated the inside of the home. I didn't hear anything. Dad went to the basement and I headed upstairs. I left the lights off. I could see well enough in the dark and my sense of smell was still in overdrive. I went into one of the bedrooms then paused. Listening closely, I could hear him breathing. I turned for the closet door. It sprang open and Ethan stepped out. He screamed something in Latin, I think, and it felt like an invisible force hit me. It hurtled me back. I went through the window and crashed to earth so hard my breath was gone. Pain racked me and my stomach knotted against it.  
  
Ethan floated out of the window, levitating softly to the ground and took off running. He had a car behind the house. I tried to get up and fire lanced through me. Blood scent filled my clearing senses. I glanced down and saw a portion of the windowsill protruding from my gut. It hurt too much to move. I tried to call out but I still couldn't get my breath back. Ethan was in the car and gone before anyone made it out of the house. My vision started getting fuzzy around the edges.  
  
Someone touched me, jarring me back to consciousness. I could hear voices, neighbors awakened by the noise. Maddelena and Spike were trying to head them off then I head her talking in a strange language, probably a spell to get rid of them, to make them forget.  
  
"Oh God, Connor." Dad's hands felt cold. "We have to get this out of you."  
  
No one suggested a hospital. I heal fast, too fast. It would only bring up questions. Maddelena was a nurse. If a transfusion was needed, she could do it, provided we could get the needed materials.  
  
"Hold him down, Spike," Dad said. "This is going to hurt, son."  
  
Yeah, thanks Dad, like I didn't already know that. I smiled up at him. "Guess wood is good for more than vampires."  
  
"Now is not the time to be a wiseass." He grabbed the wooden sill. "Ready?"  
  
He didn't wait for me to say anything. He yanked the debris free. I couldn't keep from screaming. Maddelena pressed something against the wound, Spike's shirt. It wasn't clean but at least it would keep the blood flow tamped a bit. My hold on consciousness nearly slipped.  
  
"He got away," Spike said, lighting up his cigarette then tossed it away. The magical boost on our olfactory senses hadn't faded enough and the smoke was nauseating.  
  
"Sorry," I muttered. "Messed up." "No, you didn't," Dad said.  
  
"We could try following him," Spike said. "But your kid probably needs a little more help than he's going to get here."  
  
Maddelena nodded. "That pierced him clean through. I know he'll heal without surgery but he could stand with a fill up of the AB positive." Maddie knew my blood type and the types of everyone in our little group just in case.  
  
"I'll swing us past the hospital," Dad said, scooping me up. I moaned as he jostled me. The pain wasn't quite the worst I've ever suffered but it was close. "Spike, stay here. Make sure he doesn't return. Call Wes and Ham, tell them where you are. They'll want to check out this house. Maybe we'll get lucky and Ethan had to leave something behind."  
  
"He had....nothing when...he jumped." I panted, licking my lips. "Might have been... in the car already."  
  
"I'm on it," Spike said, heading back for the house.  
  
Dad and Maddelena tried to make me comfortable in the backseat of the car. Dad covered me with his jacket then tore off down the road. Things went dark then would flash back all too brilliantly as I faded in and out. I came to when the car no longer was making any forward momentum. I was so cold I couldn't stop shivering even though every movement made the pain worse. I stared up at the sky. Dad had put the top down. The blood smell was probably making him sick or hungry. He might not need blood any more, being all human now, but I wondered if the smell of it made him remember his two centuries long blood diet.  
  
"Where?"  
  
He turned and reached over the seat, stroking my arm. "The hospital. Maddie's trying to sneak out what we need. She said she'd accomplish it better without me."  
  
"Invisibility spell...can only do...herself." The pain had spread all through my body now, making it feel leaden and unreal. "Making a mess out...of the Angelmobile."  
  
He snorted. "Don't worry. I'll make you detail it."  
  
I laughed and regretted it. It stoked the fires of agony in my gut.  
  
"Easy, son. We'll get you home soon."  
  
Something clanged against the car and Angel got out. I heard Maddie's voice telling Angel to open trunk so she could put the IV tree in it. She put the blood in the cooler Dad carried all the time, just in case. I could hear the slippery bags dropping in it. It didn't have any ice of course but we weren't that far from home now, just a few minutes. I faded away before we made it that far. I was half aware of Dad carrying me out of the car. I heard Faith asking how I was. They must have called her. I blacked out again as they started stripping me and Maddie went to check the wound. I fluttered back to the land of awareness just long enough to feel the prick of the large needle needed for the IV before I tumbled into the welcome darkness of unconsciousness.  
  
When I came to again, I felt warmer. Someone was pressed up against me. Disoriented, I looked around trying to see who it was and looked into a pair of deep warm brown eyes. The eyes brightened, realizing I was awake and a long pink tongue snaked out, licking my face.  
  
"Ewww." I focused on Mebd who sat on the floor next to my bed. The damn dog was so big, she had no trouble staring over the edge of the mattress. Someone shifted beside me and Faith rolled up onto one elbow, looking down at me. Those were the brown eyes I had been expecting.  
  
"You gave me a scare," she chided, then kissed me.  
  
"Trust me, it wasn't my idea." I still felt exhausted. I wasn't out as long as I first thought since there was still blood draining into my arm from the bag suspended from the tree next to the bed or maybe this was a second pint.  
  
"If you were a little thicker, Maddie said it probably wouldn't have gone straight through you." Faith grinned, almost desperately. Humor to banish her fear.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "What does she know?"  
  
"What I know is a little more toward center and a little lower and I would have lost something I really enjoy." Faith rolled over, getting a cup of ice off the bed stand.  
  
I involuntarily touched the dressing over my wound. It was only about a fist's width away from my groin. "You and me both."  
  
She pushed an ice chip between my lips. "Here. Maddie said nothing to eat or drink until we're sure your guts are healed, the kidney, too. Ice chips are okay, but just a few."  
  
I sucked on the ice then thanked her. All I wanted to do was sleep more. I think she knew that, since my eyes were barely able to stay open and I wasn't pulling my hand away from the licking Mebd was giving my palm. "Tell Dad....to come get his dog."  
  
Faith reached over and patted Mebd's head. "She wanted to help keep you warm."  
  
"Yeah right...probably wanted to eat my carcass."  
  
"You wouldn't be much of a meal, baby." Faith kissed me again. "Don't fight it, Connor. Just go to sleep."  
  
"I let him get away, Faith." That sounded as panful as it felt. I had fucked up royally.  
  
"Let nothing. He blasted his way through you." She snuggled into my uninjured side. "Sleep. And Connor, you are not allowed to die on me."  
  
"Promise," I muttered and gave into it. 


End file.
